For seven years the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have been governed separately - by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and by the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank.
For five and a half years the Arab League, the EU, and the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly have called for and supported intra-Palestinian reconciliation efforts.
Reconciliation occured last month but the Israeli government and the US government oppose it.
This is some background information about this.
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- 2008 -
Chronological Review of Events Relating to the
Question of Palestine
Monthly media monitoring review
November 2008
27 [November 2008]
...
Meeting at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Arab foreign ministers told Palestinian groups they should resume without delay an internal dialogue meant to bring the West Bank and the Gaza Strip back under a single Palestinian authority. ... The ministers said in a resolution that they recognized Mr. Abbas as president and allowed legitimacy to the Palestinian Legislative Council. The ministers also said that presidential and parliamentary elections should take place in all Palestinian territory simultaneously and they asked Mr. Abbas to remain president until the elections. (Reuters)
http://unispal.un.org/...
Annex to the letter dated 31 December 2008 from the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council
Statement by the European Union on the situation in the Middle East
... Europe encourages the inter-Palestinian reconciliation behind President Mahmoud Abbas, as called for by the Ministers of the Arab League on 26 November, and supports the mediation efforts of Egypt and the Arab League in this respect.
http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/...
- 2009 -
United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1860
8 January 2009
7. Encourages tangible steps towards intra-Palestinian reconciliation including in support of mediation efforts of Egypt and the League of Arab States as expressed in the 26 November 2008 resolution, and consistent with Security Council resolution 1850 (2008) and other relevant resolutions;
http://unispal.un.org/...
United Nations General Assembly
Resolution ES-10/18
23 January 2009
2. Calls upon all parties to exert all efforts to ensure, in cooperation with the Security Council, full and urgent compliance with resolution 1860 (2009);
http://unispal.un.org/...
- 2013 -
United Nations General Assembly
Resolution 67/121
14 January 2013
Stressing the need for the full implementation by all parties of Security Council resolution 1860 (2009) of 8 January 2009 and General Assembly resolution ES-10/18 of 16 January 2009,
...
9. Reiterates its demand for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1860 (2009);
http://unispal.un.org/...
- 2014 -
Hamas and Fatah unveil Palestinian reconciliation deal
23 April 2014
Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have announced a reconciliation deal, saying they will try to form a unity government in the coming weeks.
...
The factions said they planned to form an interim unity government - headed by Mr Abbas - within five weeks and hold parliamentary elections within six months.
http://www.bbc.com/...
Hamas, Fatah sign reconciliation agreement
The two Palestinian factions reportedly agree to hold elections within six months, with a unity government headed by Abbas until that time.
Apr. 23, 2014
Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a historic reconciliation deal on Wednesday, nearly seven years after a schism between the rival Palestinian factions.
The reconciliation deal is based primarily on the agreements signed by the factions in Cairo and in Doha.
Addressing reporters in Gaza, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said he was "happy to declare the end of the period of inter-Palestinian division."
According to Haniyeh's statement to reporters, under the deal the two sides must uphold past agreements, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will form an interim unity government within five weeks, followed by elections in six months.
http://www.haaretz.com/...
Security Council
7164th Meeting (AM)
29 April 2014
Israelis, Palestinians Face ‘Difficult Choices’ Following Suspension of Peace
Talks, Special Coordinator Tells Security Council
ROBERT SERRY, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, ...
... on 23 April, the Palestinians had reached a unity agreement on a National Consensus Government to be formed in five weeks, with elections to be held no later than six months later, he said. Following that announcement, Israel had cancelled a scheduled meeting between negotiators from both sides and decided to suspend the talks. ...
SYLVIE LUCAS (Luxembourg), associating herself with the European Union, expressed hope that Palestinian reconciliation would lead to national elections. She welcomed the commitment by President Abbas to respect the principle of non-violence, support the two-State solution and honour all previous agreements. ...
THOMAS MAYR-HARTING, Head of the European Union Delegation, underlined the bloc’s consistent support for intra-Palestinian reconciliation, saying it should take place behind President Abbas, who remained fully in charge of the negotiation process. ...
AHMED FATHALLA, Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States, said the League had worked to establish a genuine vision for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and endeavoured to find a fair solution in efforts to complement Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. ... Israel seemed to be seeking a strategy to end the negations, as demonstrated after the recent Palestinian reconciliation, he noted, emphasizing that Palestinian unity was an important component of a Palestinian State and of a two-State solution. The success of national reconciliation would be the only way to ensure the unity and integrity of Palestinian territory, he said, stressing the importance of recognizing that instead of using it as an excuse to leave the negotiations.
RON PROSOR (Israel) said ... Israel wished to negotiate with a single, legitimate entity representing the Palestinian people, but not with a Hamas-backed Government, he emphasized, noting that the millions of international dollars channelled to the Palestinian Authority would now be at the disposal of an “internationally recognized terrorist organization”.
SAMANTHA POWER (United States) said her Government would continue to support negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians because the only real solution was two States living side-by-side in peace and security. The announcement of a technocratic Palestinian Government was unhelpful to efforts for agreement on extending the negotiations, she said, adding that the United States would measure any such Government against its commitment to non-violence and its recognition of the State of Israel and previous agreements. ...
http://www.un.org/...
Hamas and Fatah say agree on Palestinian national unity government
May 27, 2014
(Reuters) - Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas agreed on the make-up of a national unity government on Tuesday in the most significant step yet toward healing their seven-year rift.
The two groups said they had decided on a list of independent, technocrat ministers who will run the government pending elections in at least six months - moves they hope will revive institutions paralysed since the parties fought a brief civil war in 2007.
Officials from the two sides told a news conference in the Gaza Strip that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will make a formal announcement of the new government later this week after choosing a religious affairs minister.
http://www.reuters.com/...
Palestinian unity government of Fatah and Hamas sworn in
Ceremony paves way for long-delayed elections in Gaza and West Bank, but US expresses concern about role of Hamas
2 June 2014
After seven years of a bitter and at times lethal rivalry between the two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, a historic Palestinian unity government has been sworn in, ending years of division.
...
Israel, which suspended peace negotiations in April when a surprise reconciliation deal was signed opening the way to the appointment of the new government, reacted angrily to the deal. The prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, chairing a security cabinet following the signing, told ministers: "Today, Abu Mazen [as President Mahmoud Abbas is known] said yes to terrorism and no to peace."
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Abbas has already pledged that the new administration will abide by the principles laid down by the Middle East peace quartet in that it will recognise Israel, reject violence and abide by existing agreements.
http://www.theguardian.com/...
Senior Hamas official to Haaretz: Palestinian unity government won't be dismantled
Official: 'When Israel attacked our people in the West Bank we could not remain silent. We had to show we’re one people and one nation and must protect our people.'
Jul. 12, 2014
Palestinians both for and against Hamas are saying that the Islamist organization is gaining in stature from the latest military confrontation with Israel, which its al-Qassam Brigades have dubbed "Operation Ramadan the Tenth."
This assessment completely contrasts with the opinion of Israel’s security establishment.
The price Gaza residents are paying is particularly heavy – in lives, injuries, and without an end in sight. Every family that is almost wiped out by the Israel Defense Forces' strikes amplifies – at least at this bloody stage of the conflict – the general appraisal of Hamas' achievements, as they are perceived in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
...
http://www.haaretz.com/...