Cairo Talks Fail to Unite Palestinians in Gaza

Egypt’s efforts to craft a workable post-war plan for Gaza continue to face multiple obstacles. Beyond Israel’s repeated and unreasonable veto of any direct role for the Ramallah-based Palestinian government, even the more modest goal of achieving Palestinian consensus has proven elusive. When Egypt’s intelligence minister invited select Palestinian faction leaders while excluding others, the Ramallah leadership, particularly the dominant Fatah movement, objected. The invitation extended to Samir Masharawi, a senior member of the Fatah Reformist Movement founded by Mohammed Dahlan, angered officials in Ramallah. Despite the absence of unanimity, those who did attend the Cairo talks agreed with their Egyptian hosts on certain criteria for a proposed technocratic governing body in Gaza.