Palestinian media sources are printing quotes leaks from both sides, after a weekend meeting between Hamas and Fatah aimed at achieving reconciliation between the two Palestinian factions fell short:

A meeting held late Sunday to discuss political reconciliation failed to make progress as the Hamas movement rejected the idea of holding general elections, a Fatah official said. Amin Maqboul, secretary-general of Fatah’s revolutionary council, told Ma’an that Hamas rejected a proposal presented by Fatah to hold legislative, presidential and general elections.

Efforts to establish a single government for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and Fatah-controlled territories in the West Bank have repeatedly failed despite pledges from both sides to make progress. A reconciliation deal inked in 2011 had the two sides agreeing to cease politically motivated arrests. The implementation of that agreement has been, even as of this weekend, uneven:

Hamas’ internal security forces are escalating their campaign against Fatah members in the northern Gaza Strip, Fatah said Sunday. Hamas forces summoned Fatah member Abdullah Yaghi for interrogation, and summoned and detained Fatah affiliates Abdullah Al-Majdalawi and Mohammad Zeidan, Fatah said in a statement.

Hamas in turn accused Fatah of arresting six Hamas members in the West Bank.

Establishing a single government capable of overseeing currently divided Palestinian territories is often considered a prerequisite to establishing a viable Palestinian state. A single state whose territories are ruled by competing governments is almost by definition a failed state.

[Photo: Sarah0951 / YouTube]