Fatah rally
Fatah rallyFlash 90

The Fatah movement, headed by Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, strongly criticized Hamas over its "quiet" agreement with Israel, which allowed the transfer of cash provided by Qatar to the Gaza Strip to pay the salaries of public sector employees.

In a statement issued on Friday, after the cash transfer took place, Fatah said it opposed the move and the “sale of Palestinian blood” in exchange for billions of dollars or bargaining over the city of Jerusalem and the right of return in return for dollars and money.

Osama al-Qawasmeh, a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council and official spokesman for the group, said that Hamas had exploited children and women and the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza for its selfish needs.

He accused Hamas of agreeing to the Zionist-American conditions, the principle of "blood for money", and of agreeing to the Israeli position which is in favor of an economic humanitarian solution to the Gaza problem to advance the “Deal of the century” being promoted by the Trump administration.

Qawasmeh claimed that Hamas is implementing the Israeli “plan of splitting and dividing" the Palestinian people.

The London-based Arabic-language Al-Hayat newspaper reported last week that for the first time, the PA agreed to support Egypt's efforts to reach an agreement in Gaza that would be implemented in two stages over a period of six months.

Abbas has in the past expressed outrage that a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was being formulated without his participation and said, “Over my dead body will there be a ceasefire and agreement for calm between the sides.”

Hamas and Fatah faction have been at odds since 2007, when Hamas violently took over Gaza from Fatah in a bloody coup.

Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation deal last October, under which the PA was to have resumed full control of Gaza by December 1.

That deadline was initially put back by 10 days and had later reportedly hit “obstacles”. It has never been implemented and is one of many attempts that have failed over the years to ease the tensions between the two groups.