Pretoria - The South African government has welcomed the reconciliation agreement between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Hamas.
This comes after PNA President Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal, chairperson of the politburo of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance movement, Hamas, reached an agreement on Monday in Qatar.
The agreement will see the two sides participating in a unity government in the Israeli occupied West Bank and Gaza.
"The agreement, announced by President Abbas as leader of the PNA and Mr Meshaal as the leader of Hamas, is encouraging as the two Palestinian leaders committed themselves to working together to announce a new interim government in the coming weeks in preparation for the setting of a date for future presidential and legislative elections, expected to occur during 2012," explained the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
South Africa praised the reconciliation in that it has taken place in a climate of on-going regional tensions, a Middle East Peace Process hampered by continuous disagreement and the as yet unfulfilled establishment of a Palestinian State.
"South Africa calls on both the PNA and Hamas to proceed rapidly with preparations for the envisaged elections, which will enhance democracy and ensure that internal Palestinian unity can be sustained," said the department's spokesperson Clayson Monyela said on Tuesday.
Government understood that any reconciliation agreement is likely to face challenges, particularly in the build-up to the envisioned elections. However, it expressed confidence that both parties will jointly deal with such challenges in a spirit of cooperation.
"South Africa congratulates the two parties and will support all attempts toward democracy, peace, stability, the advancement of human rights and human dignity in their society," said Monyela.
South Africa strongly supports a Palestinian Statehood and achieving the basic fundamental rights to which all people are entitled.
