Word on the Street: US, Egypt Pushing for Gaza Unity Government

The United States and Egypt are apparently looking toward the creation of a Fatah-Hamas unity government for the Gaza Strip. The result sought would be a peaceful existence focused on building the enclave following devastating warfare with Israel. The Israeli daily Haaretz is reporting that while the chances of a unity government are slim, the idea is being weighed seriously out of consideration for its interlocutors in Washington and Cairo. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hady Amr was pushing the idea in Ramallah last week with the focus on creating a government of technocrats – a fallback plan that was tried unsuccessfully before. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas seems uninterested and instead would insist on Hamas serving in the government after embracing all of the current agreements relevant to Gaza and coexistence with the Fatah-PA territories. Far from advocating for a full-fledged peace deal between Israel and Hamas, what is hoped for is “quiet” for the Israelis and the rebuilding of Gaza for the Palestinians. If reports are accurate, there remains the issue of whether the US could legally deal with such a unity government as long as Hamas remains on the State Department’s list of terror supporters.