2012 Fatah–Hamas Cairo Agreement

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The 2012 Cairo Agreement was an attempt to heal the long-standing split between Fatah, which runs the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza. Mediated by Egypt, the deal aimed to form a temporary, technocratic government to run the Palestinian territories and organize elections for a new government later in the year. It was signed in May 2012 by Fatah’s president Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashal. However, the plan never went into effect, and progress toward a full reconciliation stalled, with no major steps taken until early 2013. The two groups have been at odds since 2007, especially over how to deal with Israel. Earlier efforts included the Mecca Agreement (2007), Cairo talks (2011), and the Doha Agreement (February 2012), which also proposed an interim government and elections but failed in implementation. A subsequent Cairo agreement on May 20, 2012 sought to push elections and voter registration in Gaza, but differences over control of Gaza and Hamas’s stance toward Israel kept the talks from succeeding, and negotiations were halted.