Israel-Gaza briefing: Is now the time Palestinian politics can start afresh? - BBC News

With many challenges ahead, the future of Palestinian leadership is yet to be decided, writes Lucy Williamson.

3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warBy Lucy WilliamsonBBC News, JerusalemIf you wanted to map the path to a healthy, functioning Palestinian government, you probably wouldn't start from here.

The last time Palestinians had the chance to vote for their national leaders was 18 years ago, and those elections sparked a civil war in Palestinian politics.

That isn't a metaphor: Hamas, which won the elections, and Fatah, the biggest political faction, were shooting each other in Gaza's streets.

The fighting ended with Hamas taking control of Gaza, and Fatah running the occupied West Bank through the Palestinian Authority (PA).

It was a political cold war that lasted for a generation. That is where this journey starts.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68636033

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