GAZA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- As Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ' Fatah Party and Islamic Hamas movement in Gaza recently made positive statements on achieving national reconciliation, analysts say ending the internal split serves the Palestinian interests in the ongoing peace talks with Israel.
In a surprising move, Ismail Haneya, the prime minister of the Hamas authority, announced on Monday a series of measures to pave the way for the reconciliation.
Analysts see Haneya's measures as a direct result of the deep political and financial crisis facing Hamas in the aftermath of the ouster of Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July, 2013.
Since Hamas' violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, the Palestinians in the coastal enclave have been subjected to a tight Israeli blockade and a closure of the crossing points, which caused a high rate of poverty, unemployment and a severe shortage of fuel and electricity.
"Ending division and achieving national reconciliation would bring Gaza and the West Bank back to unity, then all the hard living conditions and the restrictions imposed on the movement of goods and individuals will be more likely lifted," said Hani al- Basoos, a Gaza-based political analyst.
Leaders of Fatah and Hamas had signed several reconciliation agreements in 2011 and 2012. However, disagreements on issues like forming a transitional unity government and setting up a date for elections put off the implementation.
"Hamas is under heavy pressure to accept reconciliation and put an end to division following the changes in the region, especially Egypt's anger on Hamas after Egypt outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, " al-Basoos said. "Hamas is in a real crisis and it chooses to end internal division now because it has no other choice."
Mohamed Ishteya, a member of Fatah central committee told reporters that a senior Fatah official will head for Gaza soon to meet with Hamas leaders and finalize the implementation of the reconciliation and set up a date for the presidential and legislative elections.
Samir Awad, a West Bank-based analyst, said because Abbas and his Fatah Party do not control the Gaza Strip, the request of Abbas in the peace talks to establish an independent Palestinian state is "feeble."
As a result, observers believe that if the national reconciliation is achieved, Israel will lose its edge on the ongoing peace talks between Palestine and Israel.
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