Ref: 42/2011

Today afternoon, the ceremony of the declaration of a Palestinian
national agreement was held in Cairo, in the presence of Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, Chairman of the Political Bureau of Hamas, Khaled Mashal, and
Egyptian Foreign Minister, Nabil al-Arabi

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) welcomes this
agreement and congratulates the Palestinian people for the end of a black stage
in their history. Over the past five
years, all Palestinians paid a heavy price for the Political conflict and
division in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and the Palestinian cause
went down to the least. 

It is time to look at the future with hope and optimism. We expect from all Palestinian parties to
move forward with serious and fast steps to regain the dignity of institutions
of the PNA and the Palestine Liberation Organization, on the basis of real
political participation of all in order for us to be stronger and more immune
towards the completion of our national project and the achievement of the
aspirations of our people to end the Israeli occupation and establish an
independent Palestinian state, on the foundations of the rule of law,
democracy, social justice and respect for human rights. 

PCHR highly appreciate the major role played by the Arab Republic
of Egypt to conclude this agreement, and seize this opportunity to congratulate
and thank the Egyptian leadership and people for this great achievement. PCHR looks at the Arab Republic of Egypt as a
guardian of the success of this agreement, and hope it will continue to work
with Palestinian parties throughout all future stages to ensure the
implementation of the agreement. 

The international community is required, especially now, to support
the reconciliation agreement and to provide the appropriate atmosphere to
ensure its success. The international
community should reconsider all policies adopted against the PNA following the
latest Palestinian legislative elections of January 2006, which contributed to
inflaming the internal Palestinian crisis and constituted a major factor of the
internal fighting that resulted in a division that impacts all components of
the PNA, and even the whole Palestinian social structure.