Hamas-Fatah reconciliation process shows growing Egyptian influence in region

Signs of reconciliation be-tween rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah would signal long-await-ed Palestinian unity, an end to Hamas’s isolation and im­proved humanitarian conditions in Gaza along with re- establishing Egypt as a force on the regional scene, experts said.“This would prove that Cairo still has leverage over the Pales­tinian file, something that was strongly contested by a number of regional powers”, said Egyptian MP Samir Ghattas.The deal would allow for Pales-tinian Authority control over the Rafah Crossing between Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, resolve the problem of overdue salaries for thousands of admin-istrative workers in Gaza and re-store electricity supplies to Gaza. It would, necessarily, pave the way for legislative and presiden­tial elections in the Palestinian territories. However, despite Hamas’s an­nouncement and Abbas’s wel­come of the move, success hinges on complex issues related to pow­er-sharing. Similar previous rec-onciliation efforts, most recently in 2014, failed after disagreements over the details.