The newly elected Palestinian parliamentarians with the Hamas majority took office on March 29. Those living on the West Bank had to take part in the ceremony through a video conference as Israeli authorities refused to allow them to cross their territory to reach the Gaza Strip.

The newly elected Palestinian parliamentarians with the Hamas majority took office on March 29. Those living on the West Bank had to take part in the ceremony through a video conference as Israeli authorities refused to allow them to cross their territory to reach the Gaza Strip. The new prime minister is called Ismail Haniya and it goes without saying the huge challenge that lies ahead of him.

He has adopted a careful posture in relation to Israel and has talked about the right to resistance in face of the occupation of the Palestinian territory by a foreign power, despite expressing even more concern with regard to solving the country’s economic problem. The US, the EU and Israel have already set in place an embargo on Palestinian aid funds, as had been threatened, claiming that the Hamas is a terrorist group. The economic and social situation will worsen dramatically and with many Palestinians already living on USD 2 a day, without foreign aid, in one year, 70% of the population will be below the poverty line, a situation which is bound not to contribute to the peace process.