Hamas-linked media reported late Tuesday that progress had been made in locking in plans – established under a late April agreement between the group and its rival Palestinian faction – under which a consensus government would be formed to control municipal Palestinian institutions in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and in Fatah-controlled parts of the West Bank:

An official Palestinian source had earlier revealed to the PIC that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas has delayed formation of the unity government till after the Egyptian presidential elections.

He did not disclose further details about this issue.

Meanwhile, political analyst Adnan Abu Amer told the PIC that he expected declaration of the new government after the Egyptian presidential elections.

The developments come amid deepening analyst concerns on at least two fronts. Analysts have expressed concerns, on the one hand, that the deal is allowing Hamas to halt a year-long downward spiral by providing the terror organization with a foothold in the West Bank.

There are also deepening worries that allowing Hamas to maintain its arsenal in the Gaza Strip – which appears to be explicitly permitted under the terms of the envisioned unity agreement – will allow the group to project control over a future Palestinian government from its stronghold (the so-called “Hezbollah model”). The concern, under these scenarios, is that the unity agreement appears to allow Hamas to pull multiple levers of control from multiple geographic territories over any future Palestinian government.

[Photo: AFP news agency / YouTube]