Palestinian rivals Fatah, Hamas pledge unity against Israeli annexationsSenior Fatah official Jibril Rajub, holds a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, joined via video link by deputy Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri (unseen) to jointly oppose annexation plansRAMALLAH (PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES) - Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas pledged unity against Israel's West Bank annexation plans in a rare joint conference Thursday, as signs emerged of a rift between Israel and Washington over the project. The relationship between Fatah, which controls the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, and Islamist group Hamas -- in control of the Gaza strip -- has been plagued by divisions for more than a decade. "We will put in place all necessary measures to ensure national unity" in efforts against annexation, senior Fatah official Jibril Rajub said in Ramallah at the press conference, also addressed by Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri by video-link from Beirut. But for former PA official and Palestinian analyst Ghassan Khatib, Thursday's show of unity was unlikely to spark wider co-operation between the two Palestinian groups. -Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's centre-right coalition government had set July 1 as the date it could begin implementing Trump's annexation proposals.

Source: Bangkok Post July 02, 2020 11:15 UTC