Khaled Meshaal
The Hamas leader speaks to Al Jazeera’s Rawya Rageh about reconciling differences among Palestinian factions.
In light of the recent Palestinian reconciliation, Al Jazeera talks to Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.
Meshaal, the Damascus-based Hamas leader, was in Cairo to celebrate the reconciliation deal between the various Palestinian factions.
The deal brokered by Egypt puts an end to four years of bitter infighting between Hamas and Fatah. It is the first step toward the establishment of a unity government and is seen as a prelude to the creation of an independent Palestinian state on the West Bank in Gaza.
Al Jazeera’s Rawya Rageh conducts an interview with Meshaal about the reasons behind the reconciliation move.
“The main reason behind the deal is the feeling of being divided, a division that was not of our making but that we were forced to live with,” says Meshaal.
“We have all suffered from the division, and from Day one we were aiming toward real reconciliation but it was not possible because of the involvement of other parties.”
Meshaal also explains the nature of the relationship between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. He says both have the same rules “but we [Hamas] are an independent organisation different than any other in the world”.
“We are … a national freedom movement with an Islamic background and our aim is to free our land and to restore our right.
“Our historical background is related to the Muslim Brotherhood but this should not lead to any confusion by some regional powers,” says Meshaal.
This episode of Talk to Jazeera can be seen from Saturday, May 7, at the following times GMT: Saturday: 0430; Sunday: 0830 and 1930; Monday: 1430.