Two warring Palestinian groups unite against Israel’s annexation plan

A joint statement vowing united action against Israel’s plans to extend sovereignty to parts of the West Bank was issued on Thursday by senior officials of two hostile Palestinian terrorist groups – Jibril Rajoub for Fatah and Salah al-Arouri for Hamas. The two groups have been at war, since 2007 when the Islamist Hamas seized the Gaza Strip in a violent coup against Fatah. Today, Fatah forms the backbone of the Palestinian Authority headed by Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. “We have no enemy but Israel,” said the joint statement. “This is a historic opportunity to unite for the struggle to set up a Palestinian state.” Rajoub announced that henceforth, Hamas would be given free rein in areas under PA control on the West Bank.