The Palestinian reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah has broken down.
“Unity is frozen,” said Fatah leader and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from Baghdad, where he was attending the Arab League summit.
“The ball is now in Hamas’ court,” Abbas said, according to the Palestinian Ma’an news agency.
Hamas is the ruling power in Gaza. Under the agreement, the rival factions would form a unity government in preparation for popular elections. Ma’an reported that the deal was frozen when Hamas leaders in Gaza rejected the joint decision that Abbas would serve as prime minister of the new unity government. — jta