Following the dramatic developments in the Gaza Strip after June 14, it became more complicated to narrow the political and ideological gap between the Islamic Hamas and the secular Fatah through dialogue, local analysts said.

Senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad said Saturday in Amman that Fatah set conditions to restart dialogue with Hamas, which include Hamas' handing over ministries, institutions and documents to the emergency Palestinian government and returning matters to the pre-June 14 conditions in the Gaza Strip.

On June 14, Hamas militarily seized all Fatah facilities in Gaza, including President Mahmoud Abbas' home and office compound, and controlled the Strip.

In response, Abbas sacked the national unity government led by Hamas, and sworn in a Hamas-free emergency government in the West Bank, which Hamas denounced as "illegitimate." Abbas also outlawed Hamas and all its affiliated groups by issuing a presidential decree.

While Hamas movement said on Saturday that it welcomed any internal or foreign efforts to narrow gap between it and the secular Fatah led by Abbas to secure the resumption of talks, it did not respond positively to Fatah's requirements.

Given that, Palestinian observers believed that before anything would happen, first and foremost, a long-lost confidence should be restored between Abbas and Hamas.

Long-running feud

The feud between the two ideologically and politically different groups is time-honored. Before Hamas' control of the Gaza Strip, the two sides had repeatedly tried to overcome their differences through extensive national dialogue.

The major ideological difference between Fatah and Hamas is that how to establish a Palestinian state. Fatah under Abbas wants an independent, or secular Palestinian state to be established through peace negotiations with Israel while Hamas wants an Islamic Palestinian state established through armed struggle against Israel, analysts said.

The political differences between them hinge on the issues of the recognition of Israel and the condemnation of violence.

Abbas, chairman of Palestine Liberation Organization recognized Israel and condemned violence in 1988.

But Hamas movement, which won in January 2006 legislative elections, refused to recognize Israel, honor the signed interim agreements or renounce violence against Israel.

The seesaw battle between the two movements on power spiraled up when Abbas threatened to go for a referendum to ask the Palestinians if they want to go for early elections.

Following this threat, Abbas' Fatah and Hamas agreed to head for another round of dialogue in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The dialogue ended with an agreement, also known as Mecca deal, to end infighting and to form a national unity government headed by Hamas but absorbing Fatah element.

However, the unity government, which was awarded with hails and plaudits at the very beginning, inevitable fell apart after three months hard tug.

Restarting talks needs greater efforts

Now that Hamas took over Gaza, greater efforts from various sides are needed to draw the two rival movements back to negotiating table to solve the impasse, analysts said.

"I don't expect that Abbas would be able to sit face-to-face with Hamas leaders soon, especially following the bitter defeat of his Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip," said Hani al-Masri, a political analyst from Gaza.

Some hold that the situation actually bolsters Abbas' strength and gives him a greater leverage as Hamas now is in an impasse and broader isolation from the Arab and the International community, given the attitude of the Arab Foreign Minister's decision which came in harmony with the five conditions set by Abbas to restart dialogue.

"After Abbas failed to get what he wants through dialogue, the new situation in Gaza after June 14 helped him to a great extent isolate Hamas and squeeze it in the corner of the Gaza Strip," said Hani Habib, another analyst from Gaza.

However, some others remain optimistic that with the mediation efforts by moderate Arab countries, which have been pushing for renewed inter-Palestinian talks since Gaza fell into Hamas, a dialogue is still possible, though it "requires big efforts from the two factions."

"I think the Arab mediations may succeed to bring the two sides for talks after they give up their preconditions. When they calm down, I think there will be a room to go back to talks according to Mecca deal," said Habib.

He added that Hamas movement's leaders at the same time intensified their calls for a renewal of dialogue based on the fact that "there is no winner or looser."

However, regarding Fatah's preconditions for restarting talks, Khalil Abu Laila, Hamas' foreign relations chief, said that it is impossible to restore the things to the shape in which they were in the past.

"What do they (Fatah) mean when calling for this? Do they mean to restore the killing and the crimes?" Laila heckled.

He asserted that Hamas have served people's demands of security and safety in Gaza.

"Our vision for talks is clear, we should refer to Mecca deal and the political partnership which appeared there and to open of all files, including the true political partnership and rebuilding the security services on national basis instead of dedicating them to help the 'occupation'," said Abu Laila.

Asked if Hamas should apologize to the Palestinians for what happened in Gaza, Abu Laila said "It's Abbas who should make an apology to the people for staging a coup by installing a government without taking the parliament's approval."

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2007)