Palestinians rejoice at news of unity deal
GAZA (Reuters) - Fireworks lit the night sky over Gaza on Thursday in celebration of a Palestinian unity deal sealed in Saudi Arabia between the Islamist militant Hamas group and the Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas.
Thousands poured into the streets and gunmen fired in the air to welcome an agreement between the groups that Palestinians hope will persuade the West to lift crippling sanctions and bring an end to weeks of factional violence.
"Gaza has a different day and a different night," said Abu Ali Saleh, 50. "Gaza has not been this happy in years."
Drivers in Gaza City honked horns, sounded sirens and waved either green Hamas or yellow Fatah flags out of car windows after hearing news of the deal signed following talks between Abbas and Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal.
Many Palestinians had fled Gaza City following the violence which has killed more than 90 Palestinians since December. Tensions between the rival groups had escalated after Hamas beat Fatah in a parliamentary election last year.
Smaller celebrations were seen throughout the West Bank.
"We are happy today watching our leaders shaking hands instead of killing each other," said Nasri Abu Rajab, 26, a resident of the city of Hebron.
Abbas angered Hamas by threatening in December to call an election after failed negotiations to form a unity coalition.
"I hope this agreement will be a serious and official one and not like the previous agreements," said 38-year-old Gaza resident Hussein Haniyeh.
Palestinians hope a unity government can persuade the West to renew aid to the Palestinian Authority, which it had halted after Hamas won the election. The government has not been able to pay about 165,000 employees as a result of the sanctions.
Western powers demand any government renounces violence, and recognises Israel and past peace deals.
The agreement, read out in Mecca, made no mention of recognizing the Jewish state although Abbas said the new government should abide by past treaties.
"At last they agreed," said Hassan Ali, a 37-year-old government employee from Gaza. "I hope it would be a lasting agreement to end the fighting and I hope that at last we will start getting paid."
(Additional reporting by Haitham Tamimi in Hebron)
