Palestinian unity announced in Cairo amid celebrations and Israeli opposition

Ma'an – In a recorded broadcast which aired one hour after a unity announcement was made in Cairo, leaders of Fatah and Hamas both welcomed a Palestinian reconciliation deal they said would pave the way to statehood.

An initial delay in the presentation was said to be on account of Hamas leader-in-exile Khalid Mash'al's insistence on delivering a speech, and expressing anger over being seated in the audience of the event, rather than on the central plinth where Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas sat next to Egyptian officials.

In addition to being Fatah's chairman, Abbas is also Palestinian president and leader of the PLO. His title as leader of the Palestinian people was given as a justification for his being the only address, sources said.

Both men ultimately presented addresses to the audience, made up of the leaders of 14 Palestinian political factions as well as Palestinian religious officials.

"We fold forever the dark page of division," Abbas began his address, words echoed by Mash'al moments later in his own speech.

He said a government of "independent figures" would "soon see the light."

Abbas reaffirmed that the new government would renounce violence, but underscored his continued support for popular resistance activities against Israel's continued military and settler presence in the West Bank.

"The people are leading a struggle that is recognized by the world ... the people struggle against occupation, settler oppression, [and the] ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem," he said, labeling Israel's occupation of Palestinian areas "state terrorism."

Mash’al, whose address was brief, praised the efforts of Egypt, and said he supported "elections at the first possible moment," but said that in order for the vote to be genuine, "first we must establish a real and normal atmosphere on the ground."

Abbas elaborated on his vision for the establishment of a unified Palestinian people, saying "there will be one authority, one gun; [but we will be an] authority committed to non-violence."

The ceremony was closed to the media, Abbas said, because of its location in the Egyptian intelligence headquarters, with tapes of the event later released to satellite channels.

"Israeli threats"

Abbas gave extensive comment on recent threats by Israeli officials to lobby against the unity government, as well as the Israeli government decision to withhold tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority.

"If they keep blackmailing us, we'll make September nearer," he said, referring to the PA's stated intention to head to the UN in September asking that the international body recognize a Palestinian state in the pre-1967 borders, on land recognized as the West Bank -- including Jerusalem -- and the Gaza Strip.

"Israel used division as pretext to stall a peace deal. Now they object to unity. That's unacceptable, its illegitimate," he said.

The Palestinian president said the Israeli premier must now "choose between (building) settlements and peace," and accused Israel of opposing the Palestinian reconciliation accord as "a pretext to avoid peace negotiations."

Abbas criticized Israeli ministers demanding an end to the unity deal, saying it was Israel that had to do serious thinking over who they would talk to. "Hamas is part of the people," Abbas said, saying that if he could talk to Israel in the interests of the Palestinian people, he would also speak with Hamas, all in the view to realizing Palestinian statehood.

"The occupation shall end, a Palestinian state shall be born this year," he said.

Commenting on reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present a peace settlement to American officials during his visit to Washington in May, Abbas said Palestinians would refuse a deal with "temporary borders," and added that "we won't accept the existence of any Israeli soldier on Palestinian lands … if there's an independent state, Israel shall not exist in it."

He also said that Palestinians will not "drop the right of return," noting that he himself was a refugee.

As an alternative to any settlement Netanyahu might propose, Abbas said Palestinians were "committed to Arab peace initiative, to international legitimacy. Our national rights are inalienable."

In London, Netanyahu was on the first leg of a tour aimed at convincing European leaders that the deal between Abbas's secular Fatah faction and the Islamist party Hamas, which Israel boycotts as a terrorist organization will be disastrous for Middle East peace.

"What happened today in Cairo is a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism," the Israeli premier told reporters in London, reports said.

Celebrations greet unity announcement

Palestinians gathered in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip to celebrate the long-awaited agreement to put an end to rival administrations in the West Bank and Gaza, and restore the unity shattered by deadly fighting in June 2007.

The reconciliation agreement provides for the formation of an interim government of independents to lay the groundwork for presidential and parliamentary elections within a year.

Negotiations on the new government line-up were due to start straight after Wednesday's ceremony, with reports saying Abbas and Mash'al were due to meet as soon as the unity announcement was made.

The surprise deal, which was announced last week, comes after 18 months of fruitless talks.

In Gaza City, around 300 people waving Palestinian flags gathered in a festive atmosphere to celebrate the deal, dancing and letting off firecrackers.

"Palestinians want to end the division," said one banner held aloft by the crowd.

Many participants waved the green flag of Hamas, and a few also raised the yellow flag of the Fatah movement, which has been banned in Gaza ever since the Islamist movement ousted Abbas loyalists from the territory four years ago.

"This is the day that we've all been waiting for," an announcer shouted to the cheering crowd.

Support rallies were also planned in the West Bank town of Ramallah, where Abbas has his headquarters.

AFP contributed to this report