Will Fatah and Hamas ever find common ground?
Recent reshufflings of ministerial positions by Hamas in Gaza and President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah threaten to widen the already deep rift between Hamas and Fatah.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A recent shuffle of positions at the Ministry of Interior in Gaza has shone a spotlight on the ongoing split between the West Bank and Gaza and the floundering effort at Palestinian reconciliation.
Ministry of Interior spokesperson Iyad al-Bazm confirmed to Al-Monitor, “The Hamas leadership appointed on Dec. 12 the released detainee Toufic Abu Naim as leader of the internal security forces, which include the internal security apparatus and the police. Abu Naim succeeds Salah Abu Sharkh, who was appointed undersecretary of the Ministry of Transportation in Gaza. Abu Naim reportedly spent 22 years in Israeli prisons and was released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal on Oct. 11, 2011.”
