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GUEST: Mubark Awad, President of Non-violence International

Following a failure to form a Palestinian unity government, factional violence has broken out in the Palestinian territories. Earlier this year, the militant organization, Hamas, won the majority of seats in municipal elections. In response, Israel, the US and other countries have enforced an economic blockade, impoverishing government agencies and workers. Additionally, earlier this year, Israel carried out several brutal incursions into Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah party, has repeatedly made calls for a new election. But Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas, has rejected them, referring to new elections as a coup. Haniya had just finished a fund raising tour in other Arab nations and was returning to Gaza via the Rafah border carrying millions of dollars in cash donations for the government. Israeli forces prevented him from entering. Several people, including children, have been killed in several days of internal violence between Hamas and Fatah forces. The BBC sums it up this way: “Hamas refuses to renounce violence or recognise Israel – a crucial demand of the international community,” while “Fatah believes that ending anti-Israel attacks is the key to forcing Israel into negotiations on an independent Palestinian statehood.”As of yesterday the two groups had reached a truce after intense mediation by Egyptian officials.