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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Hamas, Fatah miss another reconciliation deadline as deal withers

2018-02-02

[IsraelTimes] The two leading Paleostinian factions missed another deadline Thursday to implement a reconciliation deal, potentially burying the landmark accord aimed at ending their decade-long split. Terror group Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", was supposed to hand over power in the Gazoo Strip to the Paleostinian Authority, led by secular movement Fatah, by December. But the handover was missed and a February 1 deadline for solving the issue of two rival civil services passes Thursday with no progress appearing imminent. While small changes have occurred since the deal was signed in October ‐ notably the handing over of Gazoo’s borders to the Paleostinian Authority ‐ Hamas remains firmly in charge in Gazoo. Hamas and Fatah trade blame for what could turn out to be a gradual abandoning of the accord. Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, says the Fatah-led government had backed away from the deal "without clear reasons," while Fayez Abu Eita, a Fatah official in Gazoo, calls for Hamas to respect the agreement. Egypt, which brokered the agreement, has elections coming up and the focus of its leaders appears elsewhere. The head of the Egyptian intelligence services, Khaled Fawzy, was the chief broker of the deal but was replaced earlier this month.

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Africa North

The Egyptian maestro and his Palestinian marionettes

2017-09-25

[Ynet] Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", may have given up the Gazoo administrative committee, but it will keep running the strip. The announcement, which was used as bait to bring the PA delegation to Cairo, will allow Abbas to lift the sanctions and renew the economic aid to Gazoo. This is an Israeli interest too. To be sure, if the PA lifts sanctions, it will go back to paying Gaza's debts to Israeli suppliers. Or rather, as I understand it Israel will take out from the taxes it collects on the PA's behalf -- sales taxes on Palestinian goods sold in Israel, for instance -- balances due for electricity and fuel Israel is currently supplying Gaza as a humanitarian gesture without recompense. The most fascinating part of Hamas’ "strategic turnabout" is the marionette theater: The elegant ease with which the director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate, General Khaled Fawzy, is leading the Paleostinian wooden puppets. With his right hand, he’s entertaining himself with Hamas’ political bureau, and with his left hand, he’s pulling the strings of the Paleostinian Authority delegation. The general is not alone. The entire department in the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate dealing with the mater is fussing over the Paleostinian marionettes, isolating them from other centers of power in the Arab world, making sure they don’t disrupt Maestro Fawzy’s efforts to run the marionette theater as he sees fit.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Mohammad Dahlan’s plan to take over Gaza—and Ramallah

2017-08-13

[Ynet] Ten years after leaving Gazoo, the former head of the Paleostinian Preventive Security Force may return to the strip a leader, as part of a move being devised by Egypt, Soddy Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, the US and Israel. The plan, an Israeli expert says, is Dahlan’s dress rehearsal, as he strives to conquer the Muqata’a and take Abbas’s seat. It’s incredible to see how the events around the terror attack at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound actually improve the chances of implementing "the plan of the century"--a complex, ambitious plan taking shape behind the scenes, which focuses on the highly controversial figure of Mohammad Dahlan (Abu Fadi). The leaders involved in the plan include Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and his intelligence chief Khaled Fawzy, as well as the Saudi king and crown prince, the ruler of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and his deputy, the king of Bahrain, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and US President Donald Trump

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Africa North

Egypt's powerful intelligence chief replaced

2014-12-21

[Ynet] Security officials say Egypt's powerful intelligence chief has been removed and replaced by his deputy. Gen. Mohammed Farid el-Tohamy was put in charge of the intelligence agency immediately after the military ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. El-Tohamy was viewed as a longtime mentor of Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who as army chief forced Morsi out and was elected president this June. Officials said late Saturday that el-Tohamy, who was in his mid 60s, was relieved of his post for health reasons. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has yet to be made. The new intelligence chief is Khaled Fawzy, a longtime intelligence officer, who heads the national security agency.

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