In a joint briefing with senior Hamas official Salah al-Arouri, Jibril Rajoub, a senior Fatah official, said that his organization would be changing its years-old policy and allowing Hamas free rein in areas under Palestinian Authority control. Rajoub credited Israel's stated intention to apply sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria as the reason for the new development.
"We are totally aware that we are playing with fire, and that security forces will have to work much harder to maintain order, but this battle has united us," Rajoub said.