Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process
A series of attempts to resolve the hostility between Fatah and Hamas have been made since their 2006–2007 conflict and Hamas' subsequent takeover of the Gaza Strip. Despite a number of agreements, those attempts have not yet been successful, with Hamas still exercising full control of the Gaza Strip, despite the formation of the "unity government" in June 2014. Background Until the First Intifada, Fatah was the sole dominating party in the Palestinian political arena, including the PLO. In 1987, Hamas arose as a resistance movement against the Israeli occupation. Following the Oslo Accords, the PLO, of which Fatah still was the dominant member, formally denounced armed resistance. Hamas refused to recognize Israel and opposed the Oslo Accords and subsequent agreements between the PLO and Israel. Under pressure of Israel and the international community, Fatah attempted to eliminate Hamas, especially after Mahmoud Abbas had succeeded Arafat as President of the Palestinian National Authority. Tensions mounted ahead the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2005 and culminated in the Battle of Gaza in June 2007, resulting in a split of the Palestinian government. In reconciliation attempts, Hamas has mainly focussed on reform of the PLO and its inclusion in the organisation. After Hamas' victory in the 2006 elections, it unsuccessfully tried to run the PA Government due to Israeli and international boycott. Although Hamas has maintained that it is ready to conclude a long-term truce with Israel (Hudna), it has vowed to never recognize Israel, because this would imply the recognition of the "Zionist occupation of Palestine", which Hamas views as an Arab Islamic country. In the view of Hamas, recognition of Israel would imply the acceptance of the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians during the Nakba during the 1948 Arab–Israeli war. Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel and denounce armed resistance, unlike the PLO and implicitly Fatah, has been the main reason for Israel and the international community to oppose the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. Fatah has met with massive external pressure not to cooperate with Hamas. Israeli obstruction Israel has consistently objected to Hamas being included in any PA government. In 2009, for example, Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would never make peace with Hamas and "cannot accept Hamas as a negotiating partner". Following the April 2011 Cairo Agreement, he ruled out a peace agreement for that reason. He said: "The PA must choose either peace with Israel or peace with Hamas. There is no possibility for peace with both" and "How can you talk to us about peace when you're talking about peace with Hamas. You can choose [to make] peace with Israel or you can choose peace with Hamas". President Abbas has consistently been under pressure not to make any deal with Hamas. In September 2013, Abbas admitted that he was under pressure from the US and Israel not to achieve unity with Hamas. PLC council member for Hamas "Anwar Zaboun" said that both the US and EU maintain a veto on the reconciliation. In 2011, an