Palestinians to sign reconciliation deal

Hamas deputy leader Musa Abu Marzuq, 2nd from right, and senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, far right, in Cairo on Tuesday.

Jerusalem (CNN) — The two largest Palestinian factions — the West Bank-based Fatah and the Islamist group Hamas, which rules Gaza — are expected to hold a formal signing of a political reconciliation agreement Wednesday in Cairo.

As Palestinian political factions prepared Tuesday to formally sign the reconciliation agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Palestinian Authority to pull out of the deal, saying it would jeopardize the Middle East peace process.

During a meeting with Middle East envoy Tony Blair in Jerusalem, Netanyahu called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to “immediately cancel the reconciliation deal with Hamas and choose the path of peace with Israel.”

The Egyptian-brokered agreement, word of which was first announced last week, seeks to mend the political differences between the two largest Palestinian factions: Abbas’ party, the West Bank-based Fatah and the Islamist group Hamas, which rules Gaza.

“The agreement between Abu Mazen (Abbas) and Hamas is a hard blow to the peace process,” Netanyahu told Blair. “How can peace be achieved with a government (in which half of the ministers) call for the destruction of the State of Israel and praises the master killer Osama bin Laden?”

The agreement between Hamas, Fatah and other smaller Palestinian factions calls for the establishment of a new Palestinian caretaker government and for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held next year.

It is not clear who might lead a caretaker government, but there has been much speculation in the Palestinian and Israeli media that the current Palestinian Authority prime minister and political independent Salam Fayyad may not be asked to return. Fayyad is reviled by many in Hamas who consider him a lackey for the United States and Israel. He’s also resented by many old-guard Fatah officials for the policy control he exerts.

Fayyad’s exclusion from a future government would likely contribute to pressure on American and European governments to curtail the hundreds of millions of dollars given to the Palestinian Authority every year. At a news conference Monday in Ramallah, Fayyad downplayed the importance of any future role he may have in the new government.

Officials from Fatah and Hamas said they will form a special committee to handle security, which has been one of the most contentious points of division between the two parties, who have been in open conflict since 2007 when Hamas seized power in Gaza.

Both Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist organization and have voiced strong opposition to the inclusion of the group in any unity government, demanding that it first renounce violence, recognize the state of Israel and abide by all previous agreements.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with leaders in London and Paris this week in an effort to convince the international community not to recognize any Palestinian government that might include Hamas.