Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday met with rival Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh in Algeria, in the first face-to-face meeting since 2007.
Abbas and Haniyeh, who is the head of Hamas’s political bureau, were in Algeria for its Independence Day festivities.
The two are seeking to promote a unified Palestinian government comprised of both Abbas’ ruling Fatah party and Hamas, Hebrew media reports said, which could lay the foundation for elections.
The last election took place before the terror group carried out a violent military coup in Gaza Strip, expelling Fatah.
Palestinian media outlets said the meeting between the two leaders was organized by Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune, but did not elaborate on its content.
Abbas last called legislative elections for May 2021 but scrapped them at the last minute, blaming Israel for barring Arab residents of eastern Jerusalem to vote.
Polls have consistently shown that if elections were held, Hamas would defeat Fatah, although the terror group’s popularity has declined in recent months.
Hamas slammed Abbas’ decision to cancel the elections, as did many Palestinian activists. Anti-Abbas protests took place frequently in the subsequent months, and the PA came under fire for trying to suppress protesters – often with violence.
A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research last month showed that 80% of Palestinians want Abbas to step down.
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