Bahrain welcomes Hamas, Fatah deal

Manama : Bahrain yesterday welcomed the reconciliation agreement signed between Fatah and Hamas factions and said that the deal will “put an end to divisions and lead to peaceful action”. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, said the reconciliation will result in the “renunciation of violence, consolidation of the Palestinian ranks and reinforcement of their capabilities to confront the challenges facing their cause to fulfil the aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people.”

Hamas and Fatah signed the reconciliation agreement on Thursday after Hamas agreed to hand over the administrative control of Gaza, including the key Rafah border crossing, a decade after seizing the enclave in a civil war.

“The ministry also pays tribute to the Egypt for the indefatigable efforts it has exerted to make the Palestinian reconciliation happen in an embodiment of its pivotal role in the service of Arab causes and protection of the Arab national security,” the statement said.

The statement also voiced Bahrain’s unwavering support to the Palestinians and all efforts towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as a capital. 

Under the agreement, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority is to resume full control of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip by December 1, according to a statement from Egypt’s government.

It was signed in Cairo by new Hamas deputy leader Salah al-Aruri and Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of the Fatah delegation for the talks, at the headquarters of Egypt’s intelligence service, which oversaw the negotiations.

Also under the deal, Gaza’s border crossings with Israel and Egypt will be handed back to the Palestinian Authority in the coming weeks, with a November 1 deadline

The deal was also welcomed by Saudi Arabia and said it will help Palestinians to gain their legitimate rights, the state news agency SPA reported on Friday.