US is reported warning that Hamas victory could damage, if not bury, prospect of two-state solution
The push for postponing the Palestinian elections is gaining momentum inside the Palestinian Authority (PA), the al-Quds newspaper reported on Friday.
The Palestinian newspaper cited a US source with knowledge on the matter as voicing belief that US President Joe Biden would not object to the prospect.
The source told the paper that Washington was aware of the challenges, including the long-running spat between Fatah, the party dominating the PA, and Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas, as well as economic plights.
The US official also warned that should Hamas, which rejects Israel’s legitimacy, secure prominent positions within the PA, this could damage, if not bury, the prospect of a two-state solution.
The source also said that the internal power struggle within Fatah was likely to chip away at its ability to keep the Gaza terrorists at bay.
On Monday, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad declared that no vote can take place if Palestinians living in East Jerusalem cannot cast their ballots — a pretext that had already been used to defer elections.
Previously, PA President Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree ordering a legislative vote to take place on May 22, while the presidential vote is slated for July.
If it materializes, the election will be the first one to be held by the Palestinians in some 15 years.
(i24).
