Fatah says Iran trying to block Palestinian unity

Following Hamas visits to Iran, Fatah says the Islamic Republic is paying Hamas leaders in Gaza to block reconciliation efforts.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh arrives in Tehran Iran 390 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl)
Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh arrives in Tehran Iran 390 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl)
Iran is funding some Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip so that they can thwart efforts to achieve reconciliation with Fatah, Azzam al- Ahmed, a member of the Fatah central committee, said on Saturday.
Ahmed’s charges came in response to the visits of two top Hamas leaders, Mahmoud Zahar and Ismail Haniyeh, to Iran in the past few weeks.
“Iran does not want the Palestinians to end their divisions,” Ahmed told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Mustaqbal. “Iran is responsible for foiling attempts to achieve reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.”
Relations between Hamas and Iran were strained recently following the Islamist movement’s refusal to support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s ruthless crackdown on his opponents.
Relations between Hamas and Tehran suffered another setback with the signing of the Qatari-brokered reconciliation pact between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.
In a bid to ease tensions, Zahar and Haniyeh visited Tehran separately in the past few weeks, assuring the Iranian leaders that Hamas has not abandoned the armed struggle against Israel despite the deal with Fatah.
Ahmed admitted in the interview that efforts to implement the reconciliation pact have reached an impasse. He blamed Iran for “inciting” Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip against rapprochement with Fatah.
“Iran has apparently played a role in inciting Hamas leaders against the reconciliation agreement,” he charged. “Iran is playing a negative role with regards to the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation.”
The Fatah official added that Iran has provided financial aid to Haniyeh in return for his opposition to the Qatari-brokered deal.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denounced the allegations as “trivial.” He accused Ahmed of seeking to escalate tensions with Hamas and reiterated his movement’s readiness to instantly implement the reconciliation accord.
Meanwhile, Abbas told a visiting Jordanian parliamentary delegation on Friday that “small obstacles” were preventing the establishment of a Palestinian unity government, as envisaged by the reconciliation pact.
“I don’t want to go into details, but there are some small problems facing the formation of a unity government dominated by technocrats,” the PA president was quoted as saying.
Abbas nevertheless expressed hope that the two sides would be able to overcome the obstacles.