Palestinians less optimistic over factional dialogue in the long run

Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

GAZA, Oct. 13 (Chinese media) -- Majority of Palestinians

are less optimistic over factional dialogue in the long run, though they express

optimism over it just in the short run.

Egypt has mediated between rival factions since

Islamic Hamas movement took control of the Gaza Strip that has deepened the

crisis of political split in the Palestinian territories.

"All what the Palestinians, who live in the besieged

impoverished Gaza Strip want from the ongoing dialogue is to hear good news in

November that the Palestinian factions reached an agreement of reconciliation,"

said Homam Obied, a Palestinian academic and writer.

But many Palestinians have voiced their mistrust in

the results of the Egyptian brokered Palestinian factional dialogue in Cairo,

saying Hamas' forcibly seize of the coastal Gaza Strip has made the chances of

the dialogue success more difficult.

Analysts in Gaza held that Hamas still has a dream

which is establishing a complete Islamic regime not only in Gaza but all over

the Palestinian territories.

Fatah spokesman in the West Bank Fahmi Za'arir

explained that "the one who thinks that Hamas wants a real reconciliation is

mistaken. Hamas plans to have stronger presentation in the West Bank to take

control of it."

Majority Palestinians held that on the long run, the

area would witness more internal Palestinian violence, mainly between the two

rival movements, Fatah and Hamas, or an escalation of violence between Israel

and the Palestinians, mainly in the West Bank.

A field poll of opinion showed that the Gazans fear

failure of the current dialogue as other Arab previous attempts to reach a

national unity have failed, affirming what happens on the ground is not

promising.

Hatem al-Ghazali, 28, from Gaza City, believes that

the Palestinian factions are not serious in reaching a solution to end the state

of disunity, pointing out that Hamas military control over Gaza and the

incidents that followed can hardly be resolved.

He supports the proposal of sending Arab troops to

have control over Gaza, revealing that the return of the past security forces

means the renewal of internal clashes.

Meanhile, Anawar Salman, 42, an owner of a boutique

in Gaza City, expressed her resentment of the current situation, socially and

economically, stressing the necessity to reach crucial solutions to end this

dilemma.

"The residents are the most affected," she said,

adding "they must agree to end our sufferings."

However, the Cairo dialogue can be a chance to the

Palestinian unity despite the cloudy expectations of its definite failure.

The 55-year-old Omer al-Hatou, also from Gaza City,

said the Palestinian people are in a serious need to such a dialogue. "If the

factions have good intentions to reach an agreement, they do it."

All the statements made by Hamas leaders inside and

outside, mainly after they met last week with the Egyptian officials, show that

Hamas this time is more interested in succeeding the dialogue and reach a real

reconciliation agreement that reunites Gaza and the West Bank again, according

to some media reports.

"Hamas leaders are becoming smarter than before. They

reached to the conclusion that they are standing in front of two choices, the

first is to continue with the current split and then it will face sanctions

imposed by the Arabs or a heavy military strike by Israel," said Saher

al-Aqra'a, a Palestinian analyst.

He added that the other choice Hamas has, which is

the reasonable one that would keep the movement politically living "is to accept

the initiatives and respond to the Palestinian and Arab pressures to form a

unity government."

Filled with hope, university student Mohamed Jme'an,

21, said: "I wish they (the factions) can be aware of our suffering and reunite

all over again. The country had died because of the homeland split."

However, Maher Galaja, 26, disagreed with Jme'an as

he believes that the results of dialogue have already come out, saying "I doubt

the success of the dialogue. How can be optimistic when the leaders are stuck to

their chairs?"