Special Report: Palestine-IsraelConflicts
BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Chinese media) -- The agreement reached at the inter-Palestine national unity dialogue in Cairo have raised new hopes for national reconciliation among discordant Palestinian factions.
The Egypt-brokered dialogue, the first of its kind since June 2007, concluded with rival parties agreeing to take concrete measures and making concerted efforts to overcome their differences to achieve reconciliation. Five committees were agreedto be set up for this purpose.
The agreement is believed to release a positive signal for adjustment in Palestinian-Israeli relations in the future, and even the Middle East peace process as a whole.
The positive atmosphere also showcased the aspirations of the Palestinians for national reconciliation, which will help them to act as one in tackling the difficulties both at home and abroad.
The parties have realized that the internal split, if it continues, will benefit nobody and will only shrink their own strength.
The Israeli attacks on Gaza at the end of last year and the rising of the right-wing in Israel following the general elections earlier this month have dimmed the prospects for the Middle East peace process, reminding the Palestinian parties that only with solidarity and speaking in one voice could they efficiently face up to the mounting challenges.
It is worth observing that prior to the reconciliation dialogue, representatives of arch rivals Fatah and Hamas, had held preliminary talks and agreed on issues such as the release of political prisoners and ending media incitement against each other.
The move has helped relieve tensions between the two main movements, paving the way for national reconciliation.
Fatah and Hamas, which diverge widely on a variety of issues, have been immersed in increasing conflicts since 2006, when Hamas defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections. In a further step, Hamas grabbed a complete control of Gaza by ousting Fatah security forces from coastal enclave in 2007.
However, it has been proved that political hostility brought nothing but suffering to the Palestinian people, adding obstacles to revolving issues, as well as dealing a severe blow to international efforts to advance the peace process.
The start of the reconciliation process will be conducive to alleviating the sufferings of the Palestinian people, and will facilitate efforts by the conflicting parties and the international community in working toward a settlement of the Israel-Palestine rift at a early date.
However, The Palestinians still have a long way to go in their efforts to recover the occupied territory, striking a peace deal with Israel, and establish a statehood.
As Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit put it, the only guarantee for the success of the inter-Palestinian reconciliation dialogue is Palestinians themselves.
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