The Fatah political group in the West Bank has formed a de facto alliance with the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.

Following discussions in Turkey, the two major Palestinian parties have agreed to hold elections for various representative bodies and put 14 years of discord behind them. Whoever wins these elections, it seems clear that the two sides intend to cooperate more actively than before. Hamas official Basem Naim announced that the new consensus involves “rejecting all projects that plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause.” This can be translated as “all projects that involve durable concessions to Israel as part of a long-term peace process.”