The 2022 Palestinian reconciliation agreement, officially the Algerian document for Palestinian reconciliation (
Arabic: الورقة الجزائرية للمصالحة الفلسطينية) and referred to by the Algiers declaration (Arabic: إعلان الجزائر) in Arab media, is an agreement signed by 14 different Palestinian factions, including
Fatah and
Hamas, as part of
the reconciliation process between the two factions in
a conflict that started in the aftermath of the
2006 Palestinian legislative elections and included the
2007 Hamas takeover of Gaza. Months of talks leading to the deal were conducted in
Algeria in preparation for the first
Arab League summit since the
COVID pandemic.[1]
The agreement included provisions to hold
presidential and
parliamentary elections within a year of its signing. However, no new Palestinian elections were held throughout 2023, owing in part to Israeli opposition to allow voting in East Jerusalem.[2] Just as the deadline was nearing the
Israel–Hamas war was started, rendering the deal ineffectual.[3]
Hamas, on the other hand, is a
Sunni Islamist movement founded in 1987, that advocates for the destruction of Israel. It is, in whole or in part, designated as a
terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States.[7][8] However, in recent years Hamas has accepted a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza as a temporary solution to the conflict.[9][10]
In January 2022, Hamas announced that a delegation headed by
Ismail Haniyeh would be going to
Algeria for "Palestinian unity talks," after receiving an invitation from the Algerian ambassador in Qatar, where Haniyeh is based.[24]
In September 2022, it was reported that delegations from Fatah and Hamas have headed to Algeria to conduct of talks on reconciliation.[27]
Agreement
A number of media outlets in the Arab world have released the text of the agreement, which was officially signed at a ceremony on 13 October 2022 in Algiers.[28][29] The agreement included the following provisions:
The affirmation that the
Palestine Liberation Organization is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and the adoption of national dialogue to ensure the involvement of all factions to the organization.
Elections to the
Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the PLO, would be held within a year of signing the agreement. (Algeria offered to host the meetings of the council after its election, a proposal which "was appreciated of all the factions participating in the conference.")
Presidential and
parliamentary elections for the
Palestinian National Authority would be held in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the city of
Jerusalem, within a year of signing the agreement. (The agreement described Jerusalem as "the capital of the Palestinian state," without specifically mentioning
East Jerusalem, which is the capital of Palestine in the two-state solution, while
West Jerusalem's status is ambiguous in such a settlement.)
An "Algerian Arab team" would be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement.
The agreement was signed by 14 Palestinian factions.[30]
Reactions
Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of Fatah's delegation to Algiers, said that the factions "signed this agreement to get rid of the malignant cancer of division that has entered the Palestinian body," and expressed his movement's optimism "that the agreement is implemented and will not remain ink on paper."[31][32]
Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, said, "It is a day of joy in Palestine and Algeria and for those who love the
Palestinian cause, but a day of sadness for the Zionist entity."[33]
^Laub, Zachary; Robinson, Kali (17 August 2021).
"What Is Hamas?". Council on Foreign Relations.
Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
^الهدف, بوابة (20 July 2019).
"هنية: لا نعارض دولة على حدود 67". بوابة الهدف الإخبارية (in Arabic).
Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
^Urquart, Conal; Black, Ian; Tran, Mark (15 June 2007).
"Hamas takes control of Gaza". the Guardian.
Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
^Toameh, Khaled Abu (25 September 2014).
"Text of Fatah-Hamas agreement". The Jerusalem Post.
Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
^للأنباء, وكالة قدس برس إنترناشيونال.
"نص". وكالة قدس برس إنترناشيونال للأنباء.
Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.