The violent conflicts between Palestine's two main military parties, the Palestine National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), have quickly expanded since June. Hamas even attacked the security and political command center of Fatah in Gaza City on June 14 after gaining control of the entire Gaza Strip, which led to the escalation of the violence in the territory.

President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the Palestinian joint government, relieved Prime Minister Ismail Haneya from his duties, announced a state of emergency in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and swore in an emergency government on June 17. In the coming elections for the Palestinian Authority president and Palestinian Constitution Committee, Hamas will be excluded. Hamas then declared the emergency government illegal because it was not elected by the people. The territory then was divided into two administrations, making it the biggest internal crisis in the history of Palestine.

The "one territory, two administrations" situation has jeopardized the joint government, which means that for the first time the country's two main parties are facing each other as equal rivals.

The four-party summit

Against this backdrop, a four-party summit was held on June 25 attended by the leaders of Palestine, Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah II of Jordan met in the Egyptian resort Sharm Al Sheikh and discussed how to resolve Palestine's domestic crisis and restart the Mideast peace talks. They also discussed humanitarian aid for the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and assistance for the Palestinian Authority and Palestine's emergency government.

Olmert said that Israel supported the emergency government and was willing to cooperate with it to re-implement a road map for peace in the Mideast. He said that his country would resume economic and security cooperation with Palestine's emergency government, lift the limitation of the Palestinians' activities in the Gaza Strip along the border with Israel, and offer food, water, electricity and medical services to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Olmert also said that Israel was prepared to free 250 Fatah prisoners, including the famed leader Marwan Barghouti, in order to strengthen Fatah and weaken Hamas.

The four leaders reached a consensus on the measures they should undertake to end the Palestinian conflicts in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. They agreed to support the Palestinian Authority and Abbas to ensure the country's sovereignty as well as encourage talks between the two political parties.

The four leaders decided to support Abbas for various political reasons. Abbas' dismissal of the joint government was a political gamble, through which he believed he could win U.S. and Israeli support. Both the United States and Israel categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization. As soon as the Abbas-led emergency government was established, the United States declared its support and re-established aid to the West Bank area under Abbas-led Fatah control.

Israel also announced its support for Abbas by resuming its dialogue with the emergency government. Olmert said that Israel would transfer to the emergency government the $700 million tariff income that it has frozen since Hamas came into power in early 2006. Since Hamas controlled the Gaza Strip, Israeli tanks enter the region frequently, in the name of preventing Hamas from launching rockets into south Israel. When announcing to return the tariff income, Israel also expressed the hope that Abbas could take measures to combat "terrorism" against Israel.