In Ramallah’s Manara Square there was not a Palestinian flag to be seen following the news of a reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah on Wednesday night – but there were hundreds of Real Madrid and Barcelona flags carried by fans watching the Champions League semi-finals.

In Gaza City around 100 people went to the Square of the Unknown Soldier to celebrate, but were quickly dispersed by Hamas police wielding batons.

Sama, 30, a journalist and activist with the Gaza Youth Break Out group, said: “We went to the square to celebrate the hope of unity. We were around 100 people but there were more policemen. We waved Palestinian flags and we sang, ‘Palestine is all that matters.’ Within minutes they just started hitting us with batons.”

The Gaza Youth group organised protests on 15 March this year to demand unity between the Hamas and Fatah factions. Thousands joined those demonstrations, until they were violently dispersed by the police.

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