adminhas been finalised, Palestinian observers argued on whether the swap deal would boost the ties between Hamas and its rival Fatah Party led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Some observers in Gaza doubted that the prisoners swap deal would really promote the two rivals to implement a Egyptian-brokered reconciliation pact reached in Cairo early May because the two groups are still deeply contradicting on substantial issues such as who would be the prime minister of the technocrat interim government.
However, other observers believed that there were good signs with Hamas and Fatah leaders receiving the prisoners together in Gaza, and the supporters of each group were allowed to celebrate the prisoners’ release by waving each group’s flag in Gaza and the West Bank.
Although Hamas leaders and officials hailed the deal as a “great historic achievement” some of Fatah officials slammed the deal, because 80 percent of those were released belong to Hamas, and some jailed Fatah leaders, for example Marwan Barghouti, were neglected.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians, who have been living under poverty and unemployment in Gaza for years, woke up very early in the morning to receive around 300 released prisoners. They have been all the time eager to hear news that one day Gilad Shalit would leave Gaza and go back home in Israel, which means an Israeli blockade could be lifted after being imposed for more than four years.
Deifallah el-Akhras, a senior Fatah member as well as official in the Palestinian National Authority, came to the Rafah border crossing to receive his nephew Anwar, who is an Islamic Hamas movement militant and had spent 20 years, said “we hope that the deal would reunite Fatah and Hamas”.
“My nephew and I are a good example of Palestinian unity. I support Fatah and Anwar is a Hamas militant. It is a historic day in the Palestinian history and a great victory for our people, and I’m sure that this deal would be followed by more deals until the last prisoner is released,” said al-Akhras.
However, Hani Habib, a Gaza-based political analyst said finalising the prisoners swap deal “doesn’t necessarily mean that Hamas and Fatah would implement their reconciliation in the following day,” adding that “their differences are still so deep”.
In the Gaza Strip, the expectations of the prisoners swap deal were higher than in the West Bank. Fatah supporters, who were banned from waving Fatah’s flag for four years, were allowed to take to the streets and celebrate, hoping that this would be a good start for reconciliation.
“It is hard to see the Palestinian internal interactions in rallies, celebrations and festivals. We hope that reconciliation will be achieved soon,” Habib said.
“I believe that Hamas allowed Fatah supporters to wave their yellow flags was only for show and celebration, and tomorrow Hamas will claim again that Abbas security forces are detaining its members in the West
Bank,” Mekhemer Abu Se’da, the political science professor of the Gaza-based al-Azhar University in Gaza said. – Xinhua.
Online Reporter