Palestinian political rivals meet in Algeria

By Abdul Razzaq bin Abdallah

ALGIERS, Algeria (AA) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met in Algeria on Tuesday with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.

The meeting was arranged by Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune, who was also in attendance.

The two Palestinian political rivals are currently in Algeria to attend celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence.
Algerian state television aired footage of the meeting between Abbas and Haniyeh, describing it as “historic.”

On Monday, Algerian official sources told Anadolu Agency that there were efforts by Algeria to hold meetings between the two rivals.

In the past few months, Algeria hosted several Palestinian delegations in an attempt to revive intra-Palestinian reconciliation.

A political and geographical division has prevailed in the Palestinian territories since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip.

Abbas’ Fatah movement, which dominates the Palestinian Authority, has since ruled the West Bank while Hamas took control of Gaza. Many efforts have failed to end the rift between the two rival movements.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar