The recent reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas is a fragile pact, according to many political analysts. 

 

The stances taken by Fatah and Hamas over the decades show that the two bitter rivals have adopted opposite strategies. Fatah supports the idea of peace with Israel, while Hamas is known for its brave resistance against the Zionist regime. 

 

Fatah seems to be disappointed with Israel, and the deal with Hamas is actually just a move meant to help the party save face among Palestinians. 

 

Hamas, on the other hand, believes its day has finally come due to the ascendancy of the discourse of resistance in the Middle East and North Africa in the wake of the Arab world uprisings. The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco has elevated the political status of Hamas, which is a movement which was founded in 1987, during the First Intifada, as an offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. 

 

Hamas has always followed a strategy of waiting for opportunities to arise, and along those lines, the group signed the reconciliation deal with Fatah.  

 

Some political analysts also describe the deal as a move that was necessary to counteract Israel’s threats. In other words, although it may be tenuous, the reconciliation between the two groups should be viewed as positive because it promotes the Palestinian cause and strengthens the resistance. And both groups know that rifts among the Palestinians embolden Israel to take advantage of the situation.  

 

The reconciliation deal, which was mediated by the pro-Western emir of Qatar, has paved the way for some minor developments in the relationship between the Palestinian Authority, which rules the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. For example, political detainees have been released in both the West Bank and Gaza and some other minor changes are expected to happen in the near future. However, the deal can never resolve all the disputes between the two parties because Fatah advocates peace with unacceptable compromises while Hamas believes in resistance until total victory. 

 

In light of all this, it can be said that the Doha deal provides the two groups more time to sort out their internal political problems, but it is no panacea for the chronic illness of discord among the Palestinians. 

 

Hossein Ruivaran is a Middle East expert based in Tehran.