Former Fatah Strongman Speaks about His Deal with Hamas

After weeks of rumors and speculation, former Fatah security chief for Gaza and favorite of Western nations Mohammed Dahlan has spoken about his new arrangement with former nemesis Hamas in an interview with the Associated Press. It has been reported recently that Dahlan, who lives in exile in Doha, has created a power-sharing agreement that will result in a governing committee to rule the Gaza Strip while further solidifying strength to overthrow Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Dahlan told the AP that he has secured funding for a $100 million plant to increase the paltry amount of electricity available to Gazans; and that he has arranged for the Gaza-Egypt border crossing to be open sometime in August. The two issues are the most pressing for Gaza’s 1.8 million residents who speak of the enclave as a “prison” because of Israel’s blockade on one side and Egypt’s on the other. The deal was hashed-out by two former enemies: Dahlan and newly appointed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, both of whom grew up rival gangs. In 2007, control of the Gaza Strip was forcibly taken from Fatah by Hamas while Dahlan was the Fatah security chief for the area. By 2010, Dahlan’s relationship with Abbas was so bad that he was sent into exile in the UAE. If the deal is completed and works, Abbas will be the big loser. With polling indicating a firm majority wants the 82-year old to step down, the Dahlan-Hamas deal could be attractive to Palestinians living in the West Bank as well. If Dahlan has managed to retain his appeal to Western leaders, his Gaza based position could be the springboard to giving Abbas the boot and uniting the West Bank and Gaza Strip under one government.