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The Reconciliation Agreement between Fatah and Hamas - An Initial Evaluation
(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Pinhas Inbari - The reconciliation agreement signed by Fatah and Hamas may result in a ceasefire in the Gaza region until September since Hamas will not want to explode the situation on the eve of the UN session. Yet the Hamas-Fatah disputes remain. Abbas defined Hamas in an interview with Egypt's Al-Ahram as the "opposition," while Hamas perceives itself as the government. Another manifestation of the dispute is the argument about the identity of the new prime minister to replace Salam Fayyad. Abbas accepted the Hamas demand to select a prime minister from Gaza because he also wanted to see Fayyad out. Abbas' candidate is the former foreign minister in the unity government that was established after the ill-fated Mecca accords, Ziyad Abu Amru, while the Hamas candidate is the NGO operative Jamal al-Kudari. While Abu Amru is an academician close to both Abbas and Hamas, who will cooperate with Ramallah in promoting the statehood project, Kudari is responsible for organizing the "freedom flotillas" to break the closure on Gaza, which may create the provocations that could topple the statehood project.