The UK's Development Work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories - International Development Committee Contents


2  The OPTs: the background

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations

11. The most recent Palestinian Authority legislative election, in January 2006, left Hamas as the largest party.[ 5] The Charter of Hamas calls for the destruction of Israel, although this phrase was dropped in Hamas' manifesto prior to the 2006 elections. In May 2014 Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas political bureau, in an interview said that Hamas will not recognise Israel.[ 6] Following the 2006 election a national unity government was formed by Hamas and its rival, the previously-ruling Fatah.[ 7] However, tensions between Fatah and Hamas spilled over into violent conflict during June 2007, with Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip by force.[ 8] Indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israeli civilians from the Gaza strip have continued since. The Palestinian Authority (under the sole control of Fatah) remained in power in the West Bank.[ 9] On 23 April 2014, Fatah and Hamas announced the signing of a reconciliation agreement. Under this agreement a coalition government is set to be formed within weeks, with elections due to take place later in the year. [ 10]

12. In response to Fatah's reconciliation with Hamas, Israel suspended its direct, US-brokered talks with the Palestinians indefinitely. The talks, which have been underway since August 2013,[ 11] seek to achieve the end of the occupation by means of a two-state solution; the UK had expressed its full support for the talks.[ 12]

13. The talks had already run into significant difficulties before their eventual suspension on 23 April. Each side's participation in the talks had been conditional on certain concessions made by the other side: Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners, whilst the Palestinians agreed to refrain from upgrading their membership of UN organisations.[ 13] In early April Israel demanded the "review" of the peace process, and cancelled the release of the final tranche of Palestinian prisoners. This was a response to the Palestinian Authority's decision to resume its campaign for membership of 15 UN organisations; for the Palestinians, the decision to pursue the UN "route" was itself a response to delays in the prisoners' release. [ 14]
DateEvent
1995Oslo II Accords signed; West Bank divided into Areas A, B and C.
January 2006Palestinian Authority legislative election leaves Hamas as largest party
March 2007Hamas and Fatah form national unity government in OPTs.
June 2007Violent conflict between Hamas and Fatah; Hamas seizes Gaza; Israeli blockade of Gaza begins
August 2013Israeli-Palestinian talks begin
April 2014Hamas-Fatah reconciliation; Israeli-Palestinian talks suspended

Sources DFID, written evidence

14. In her evidence to us Cathy Ward, Deputy Head of the Near East Department at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), remained cautiously optimistic that the talks might restart. She said: "Our sense in the Foreign Office is that we do not believe that all hope is lost. We believe that the US does not think that either; those are the latest indications."[ 15]

15. Subsequently, the situation has deteriorated with the murder of 3 teenage Israeli boys outside Hebron. This was followed by the deaths of Palestinians, including the murder of a teenage Palestinian in what has been reported as a revenge attack.

16. One of the consequences of the suspension of the peace talks is that it threatens to postpone the lifting of restrictions on economic development in the West Bank. In response to our questions about these restrictions, the Embassy of Israel informed us

    Many of these issues need to be addressed within the framework of final-status peace negotiations, it is difficult to address them in isolation and outside the broader context of Israeli-Palestinian relations.[ 16]

17. We regret the recent suspension of peace talks between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. We note with sadness the terrible crimes recently committed by both Palestinian and Israeli extremists. We understand the revulsion which many Israelis feel for Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of the Israeli state. We condemn the continuous rocket attacks on Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which show the seriousness of Israel's security concerns. Nevertheless, in the long run there has to be agreement between Fatah and Hamas which should result in peace talks between such a unified Palestinian government and Israel. All parties to these peace talks, including Hamas, must accept the Quartet's principles if there is to be a two-state solution. Moreover, we believe that the reconciliation increases the likelihood that Hamas will one day accept Israel's right to exist. US Secretary of State John Kerry had shown extraordinary leadership in bringing the parties to the table, and despite the murders of late June and July we remain hopeful that the current suspension will be temporary rather than permanent.

18. The suspension of the peace process should not lead to the suspension of discussions to lift restrictions on economic development in the OPTs. These cannot await a peace agreement; there has not been a final peace settlement in over 40 years and there may not be one for many years. The stalling of the peace process should not prevent the UK from encouraging economic development in the OPTs and encouraging the removal of those restrictions which are not justified on security grounds. Indeed, we see it as in everyone's interest to increase prosperity in the OPTs.


5   http://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/26/israel1 Back

6   While in May 2014 Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas political bureau, in an interview said that Hamas will not recognise Israel, he also said that 'at the same time, Hamas will not burden the next government's success with hurdles and obstacles. On the contrary, it will strive to market it internationally. We were encouraged by the level of regional and international acceptance of the reconciliation. Russia and the European Union endorsed it, and the American and Israeli stances against it saw some marked retreat, which is encouraging' (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/05/06/recognizing-israel-a-red-line-for-hamas-says-abu-marzouk). Back

7   http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/mar/18/israel Back

8   http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/15/israel4  Back

9   DFID, written evidence Back

10   http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/23/plo-hamas-agree-unity-pact-form-government24 April Back

11   http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/24/middle-east-israel-halts-peace-talks-palestinians24 April Back

12   DFID, written evidence Back

13   DFID, written evidence Back

14   http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/03/israel-palestine-prisoners-talks-reviewed 3 April Back

15   Q163 Back

16   Israel Embassy, written evidence Back


 
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Prepared 6 August 2014