RAFAH: Hamas handed over keep watch over of the Gaza Strip's borders with Egypt and Israel to the Palestinian Authority nowadays in the first key take a look at of a landmark reconciliation accord agreed last month.
The handover signalled that Islamist motion Hamas remained committed to a deal that may eventually see it surrender full keep watch over of the Gaza Strip and convey an finish to a 10-year rift with competitors Fatah.
It not best handed over keep watch over of the crossings, but also totally dismantled its personal checkpoint alongside the border with Israel, leaving best the only operated through the Palestinian Authority (PA) there, with trucks carting away furnishings and subject material.
A rite used to be held to formalise the handover on the Rafah border with Egypt.
"There is no yellow and green. All our Palestinian people are under the Palestinian flag," said Mufeed al-Husayna, a PA minister, regarding the flag colors of the political parties that signed last month's reconciliation deal.
Speaking on the Rafah rite, Husayna said: "We began today, under the directive of the prime minister (Rami Hamdallah), to exercise our duties by receiving all the crossings."
Palestinian and Egyptian flags have been flying on the Rafah rite, alongside massive pictures of PA president Mahmud Abbas, who is also the leader of Fatah, and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
At a separate checkpoint with Israel, an AFP photographer noticed Hamas installations being dismantled and carted away, as PA and Hamas officers oversaw the handover.
Hisham Adwan, director of knowledge for the Hamas crossings, advised AFP that PA staff would have full keep watch over of the borders.
Under an Egyptian-brokered deal agreed on October 12, the PA is because of resume full keep watch over of the strip through December 1, with the borders the first take a look at.
The settlement set November 1 because the time limit for turning in keep watch over of the borders.
Many problems remain to be resolved, alternatively, in particular the destiny of Hamas's 25,000-strong armed wing.
Israel, which has fought three wars with militants in Gaza since 2008, has said it is going to not handle any Palestinian harmony executive that includes Hamas unless the Islamist motion disarms and recognises the country, amongst other demands.
The United States has also referred to as on Hamas to disarm and recognise Israel.
Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, when the Islamists seized keep watch over in a close to civil struggle with Abbas's Fatah, primarily based in the occupied West Bank.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for a decade, citing the need to keep watch over Hamas and forestall it from acquiring guns or fabrics that may be used to make them.
Egypt has in large part closed its border as neatly. The Rafah crossing used to be not open nowadays in spite of the legit handover.
Azzam al-Ahmad, Fatah's leader negotiator, advised Palestinian media that the Rafah crossing would be opened on November 15, but there used to be no confirmation from Egypt.
The Gaza Strip's two million citizens suffer from worsening humanitarian prerequisites, with only some hours of energy a day and a loss of clean water.
The reconciliation settlement has raised hopes that a more regular opening of the Egyptian border may ease humanitarian struggling.
"The return of the crossings should facilitate the lifting of the closures, while addressing Israel's legitimate security concerns, and unlock increased international support for Gaza's reconstruction, growth, stability and prosperity," Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations particular coordinator for the Middle East peace procedure, said in a commentary.
Israel's executive had not replied, but a commentary from the Israeli body accountable for affairs in the Palestinian territories said they'd meet with PA officers in the coming days to discuss the new situation.
Multiple earlier pushes for reconciliation have collapsed and an incident this week threatened to undermine the latest strive.
On Monday, seven Palestinian militants have been killed when Israel blew up a tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into its territory. Such tunnels have previously been used for assaults.
The incident raised fears the timetable could be delayed, but both the PA and Hamas stressed they remained committed to the settlement.
Officials from both factions accused Israel of seeking to disrupt the deal, whilst the Israel's army said it used to be forced to behave after its sovereignty used to be breached.
In another step in the reconciliation procedure, all major Palestinian factions are because of meet in Cairo later this month to discuss the formation of a harmony executive.
The handover signalled that Islamist motion Hamas remained committed to a deal that may eventually see it surrender full keep watch over of the Gaza Strip and convey an finish to a 10-year rift with competitors Fatah.
It not best handed over keep watch over of the crossings, but also totally dismantled its personal checkpoint alongside the border with Israel, leaving best the only operated through the Palestinian Authority (PA) there, with trucks carting away furnishings and subject material.
A rite used to be held to formalise the handover on the Rafah border with Egypt.
"There is no yellow and green. All our Palestinian people are under the Palestinian flag," said Mufeed al-Husayna, a PA minister, regarding the flag colors of the political parties that signed last month's reconciliation deal.
Speaking on the Rafah rite, Husayna said: "We began today, under the directive of the prime minister (Rami Hamdallah), to exercise our duties by receiving all the crossings."
Palestinian and Egyptian flags have been flying on the Rafah rite, alongside massive pictures of PA president Mahmud Abbas, who is also the leader of Fatah, and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
At a separate checkpoint with Israel, an AFP photographer noticed Hamas installations being dismantled and carted away, as PA and Hamas officers oversaw the handover.
Hisham Adwan, director of knowledge for the Hamas crossings, advised AFP that PA staff would have full keep watch over of the borders.
Under an Egyptian-brokered deal agreed on October 12, the PA is because of resume full keep watch over of the strip through December 1, with the borders the first take a look at.
The settlement set November 1 because the time limit for turning in keep watch over of the borders.
Many problems remain to be resolved, alternatively, in particular the destiny of Hamas's 25,000-strong armed wing.
Israel, which has fought three wars with militants in Gaza since 2008, has said it is going to not handle any Palestinian harmony executive that includes Hamas unless the Islamist motion disarms and recognises the country, amongst other demands.
The United States has also referred to as on Hamas to disarm and recognise Israel.
Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, when the Islamists seized keep watch over in a close to civil struggle with Abbas's Fatah, primarily based in the occupied West Bank.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for a decade, citing the need to keep watch over Hamas and forestall it from acquiring guns or fabrics that may be used to make them.
Egypt has in large part closed its border as neatly. The Rafah crossing used to be not open nowadays in spite of the legit handover.
Azzam al-Ahmad, Fatah's leader negotiator, advised Palestinian media that the Rafah crossing would be opened on November 15, but there used to be no confirmation from Egypt.
The Gaza Strip's two million citizens suffer from worsening humanitarian prerequisites, with only some hours of energy a day and a loss of clean water.
The reconciliation settlement has raised hopes that a more regular opening of the Egyptian border may ease humanitarian struggling.
"The return of the crossings should facilitate the lifting of the closures, while addressing Israel's legitimate security concerns, and unlock increased international support for Gaza's reconstruction, growth, stability and prosperity," Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations particular coordinator for the Middle East peace procedure, said in a commentary.
Israel's executive had not replied, but a commentary from the Israeli body accountable for affairs in the Palestinian territories said they'd meet with PA officers in the coming days to discuss the new situation.
Multiple earlier pushes for reconciliation have collapsed and an incident this week threatened to undermine the latest strive.
On Monday, seven Palestinian militants have been killed when Israel blew up a tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into its territory. Such tunnels have previously been used for assaults.
The incident raised fears the timetable could be delayed, but both the PA and Hamas stressed they remained committed to the settlement.
Officials from both factions accused Israel of seeking to disrupt the deal, whilst the Israel's army said it used to be forced to behave after its sovereignty used to be breached.
In another step in the reconciliation procedure, all major Palestinian factions are because of meet in Cairo later this month to discuss the formation of a harmony executive.
Hamas hands over border crossings to Palestinian Authority
![Hamas hands over border crossings to Palestinian Authority]()
Reviewed by Kailash
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November 02, 2017
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