ALGIERS (Al Jazeera) –
Palestinian factions meeting in Algiers for talks mediated by the Algerian government have agreed on a reconciliation deal that aims to resolve 15 years of discord through new elections in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The agreement was signed by senior Fatah leader Azzam al-Ahmad; chief of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniya; and the secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Talal Naji.
“This is a historical moment, through which we see Al-Quds,” Haniya said before he thanked Algerian President Abdulmajeed Tabboune for his country’s efforts in sponsoring the talks.
Haniya said the talks had a positive atmosphere, expressing his deep appreciation for the initiative Algeria launched to heal the rift between Palestinians.
“We are satisfied with Algeria’s meetings and the positive atmosphere that dominated the talks between us,” Haniyeh said.
For his part, al-Ahmad said: “We are proud to stand in this moment, under the auspices of President Abdulmajeed Tabboune, … to sign this deal and get rid of this [political] split and cancer that has entered the Palestinian body.”
“As Fatah, we pledge to be the first to execute this agreement,” he added.
Other Palestinian figures who were invited to sign the document included Ahmed Majdalani, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO); Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative; and Bassam al-Salhi, secretary general of the Palestinian People’s Party.
“After long discussions, it was agreed on a statement that will be issued as the Algerian document for national reconciliation,” Barghouti said.
“It was agreed to elect the Palestinian National Council at home and abroad, using a proportional representation system with the participation of all Palestinian factions, within a maximum period of one year from the date of signing the declaration.”
The declaration, Barghouti said, also ensured that the factions could hold general presidential and legislative elections in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the occupied Al-Quds, within a maximum period of one year from the date of signing the declaration.
Media reports said the declaration would include “unifying Palestinian national institutions, mobilizing the available energies and resources to implement reconstruction projects, and supporting the infrastructure and social for the Palestinian people in a way that protects their steadfastness in the face of the Israeli occupation.”