Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, has refused to release imprisoned “resistance fighters” following a request by Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas.
Haniyeh made the request as the two leaders met for the first time since 2022 in Ankara, Turkey.
Talks come before the leaders of numerous Palestinian factions are set to meet this Sunday 30th July, in Cairo, with mounting pressure from Turkey and Qatar urging the groups to connect in preparation.
Hamas reported that Palestinian Islamic Jihad will not attend unless the militant Khaled Malaysha is released by the Palestinian Authority. Malaysha was imprisoned after reportedly setting a police station on fire in Jenin.
Hamas confirmed that a “comprehensive resistance” was required to combat what it described as Israel’s “racist colonial practices” following Ramallah official statements last week that revealed Abbas was seeking a new Palestinian unity government.
President Abbas’ Fatah faction and Haniyeh’s Hamas have been competing for dominance of the Palestinian Territories since 2006. In 2007, Hamas won elections and used the opportunity to seize control of the Gaza Strip, violently purging rival groups. Since then, the parties have attempted to reconcile but have failed to reach a lasting agreement.
The trilateral meeting was chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “We cannot tolerate any act aimed at altering the historic status quo of the holy sites, in particular the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinian unity and reconciliation are key elements of this process”, the Turkish President stated.
President Abbas has named a square in Ramallah after the Turkish President, known for his strong support for the Palestinian cause and long-standing criticism of Israel.
The two Palestinian leaders met last July in Algeria for its Independence Day celebrations where unity talks failed to make progress.
