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Gazans rejoice over pact, but all sides advise caution
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 10, 2007
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Gazans rejoiced in the streets to celebrate a Hamas-Fatah power-sharing deal they hope will avert civil war, but Palestinian officials preached patience Friday, saying implementing the agreement would be a challenge. The agreement received a muted response from U.S. and European officials, who said it was too early to decide whether to lift the crippling international sanctions on the Hamas-led government. The rivalry between Hamas and Fatah began last year when Hamas won parliamentary elections and formed a Cabinet, splitting power with President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. The friction between the two groups paralyzed the government and eventually exploded into fighting that killed more than 130 Palestinians. The two sides have tried unsuccessfully for months to reach a deal amid the violence. The conclusion of an agreement in Saudi Arabia on Thursday sparked elation among people in Gaza. "We have left behind all those black days forever and started a new page on a new government and a new way in Palestine," Abbas said. Celebratory gunfire could be heard in several parts of Gaza City and fireworks lit up the sky. Some drivers flew both green Hamas flags and yellow Fatah banners from their cars. "For four or five days we've been holding our breath. God willing, this is a permanent agreement, not a temporary truce," said Mahmoud Qassam, 27, a fish vendor in Gaza City. The West demanded that Hamas recognize Israel's right to exist, accept past peace agreements with the Jewish state and renounce violence in order to escape the sanctions. Hamas has refused those demands. The platform of the coalition government agreed to on Thursday says only that the government pledges to "respect" previous deals, instead of "committing to" them, as Abbas initially demanded. It makes no reference to recognizing Israel or renouncing violence, and it remains unclear whether the U.S. and Israel will be ready to deal with the new coalition. The Bush administration said little in public beyond praise for Saudi Arabia's role in bringing the two factions together.
[Last modified February 10, 2007, 01:54:11]
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