Palestine - July 2024

On 31 July, widespread protests erupted across the occupied West Bank following the assassination of senior Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike in northern Tehran, an act reportedly attributed to Israel. Demonstrations were held in major cities, including Ramallah, Hebron, and Nablus, where Palestinians, waving Hamas flags, expressed their outrage over the killing. These protests occurred amid a general strike and broader calls for demonstrations organized by various Palestinian factions. In response to Haniyeh's death, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared a day of public mourning and urged unity among Palestinians. The protests came shortly after Hamas, Fatah, and other factions signed a "national unity" declaration in Beijing on 22 July, which aimed to establish an interim national unity government to govern post-war Gaza. Israel has neither claimed responsibility nor denied involvement in Haniyeh's assassination, who had been residing outside Gaza since 2019. Widespread rallies in support of Hamas across the Fatah-dominated West Bank are unusual, indicating a shift towards increased public expressions of popular support for the faction.

Sources: Al Jazeera (1), The New Arab, Asharq Al-Awsat, Al Jazeera (2), WAFA, PLO, The Times of Israel

On 22 July, Hamas and Fatah, the two main Palestinian factions, signed a "national unity" declaration in Beijing, brokered by China after three days of negotiations. This agreement, supported by 14 Palestinian factions, aims to form an "interim national reconciliation government" after the end of the war in Gaza, though no timeline was provided. The UN welcomed the declaration as a step toward Palestinian unity. The Hamas-Fatah rift began after Hamas's 2006 electoral victory, leading to two parallel governments and preventing national elections. The latest effort by the parties to reconcile by forming a "unity government" in 2014 failed. While the new agreement may improve the chances of future elections, its successful implementation remains uncertain, especially given Israel's opposition to Hamas's role in Gaza governance.

Sources: Palestine News Network, Al Jazeera, Reuters, United Nations, Haaretz