In the Occupied Territories, the rival Palestinian political factions Fatah and Hamas have reached an agreement to end their nearly five-year rift. 
The agreement reportedly covers several major points of contention, including the formation of a transitional government, 
security arrangements, release of all prisoners with a non-criminal background, 
and the restructuring of the Palestine Liberation Organization to allow Hamas’s membership. 
The two sides have been locked in a bitter conflict since Fatah and the Bush administration tried to overthrow Gaza’s Hamas-led government in 2006 
after Hamas won Palestinian national elections. 
Israel says it will continue to reject any peace negotiations with a government that includes Hamas.
The Obama administration signaled its opposition to the deal by reiterating the longstanding U.S. designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization.
13 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, have signed a reconciliation deal that will pave the way for elections within a year. 
The deal was signed following talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo. 
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says the Palestinian Authority 
may not be able to pay for the salaries for about 130,000 public employees or anything else if Israel does not release about $100 million in funds 
collected over the last month on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. 
Israel is withholding the funds to punish Fatah for reaching a deal with Hamas. 
Fayyad said, “Israel has no right to withhold this money. This is Palestinian money and it is not a grant or charity from Israel.”
Palestinian leaders gathered in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday to mark the signing of a unity deal between the main factions, Fatah and Hamas. 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal held their first face-to-face meeting since 2006. 
Palestinian activist Mustafa Barghouti called on the international community to back the deal.
Barghouti: "What you’ve seen today is not only a sign of unity but, I hope you’ve read in the speeches that were made,"
"a sign of MODERATION from all Palestinians, including Hamas, and that’s a very important step forward."
"I believe that Europe, the United States, everybody in this world should support the unity agreement."
"Israel, of course, is against the unity agreement, and that’s very clear."
"Why? Because Mr. [Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor] Lieberman, who doesn’t know how to speak diplomatically, said it very clearly."
"He said, 'We want Palestinians to remain divided so that they remain weak'."
"And we want to be unified so that we become powerful and strong, so that we can achieve real peace."
Israel has rejected the Palestinian unity deal, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it "a tremendous blow to peace." 
Israeli Vice-Premier Silvan Shalom said Israel will redouble its effort to oppose recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.
Silvan Shalom: "What needs to be done these days is to prevent those efforts of the Palestinians to get the recognition in the U.N. Assembly"
"to have a new Palestinian state, because if we will give them the recognition,"
"it will help the Iranians to build one more front base here within the Middle East."
The Obama administration, meanwhile, has also refused to back the unity deal. 
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesperson Mark Toner called on Hamas to accept longstanding international demands.
Mark Toner: "We’ve been clear all along the principles to which we think any Hamas element in the government would have to adhere to."
"And that is, you know, [ISRAEL REFUSES TO DO THE SAME] recognition of the state of Israel, a commitment to nonviolence,"
"[ISRAEL REFUSES TO DO THE SAME] and the acceptance of the previous agreements and obligations between the parties, including the road map."
We’ve been clear about those all along, that if Hamas wants to play a meaningful role in the political process there, 
and indeed in the peace process, they need to—they need to adhere to these principles. [ISRAEL REFUSES TO DO THE SAME]"
Critics have long accused the United States of hypocrisy 
because neither the U.S. or Israel accept the same principles towards the Palestinians. 
WITH U.S. BACKING, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO:
1) recognize an independent Palestinian state in the occupied territories, 
WITH U.S. BACKING, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO:
2) commit to nonviolence, and 3) accept previous agreements such as the road map.
