1. a) Who is Mahmoud Abbas?
b) What is Hamas? (see "Background" below the questions for details)
c) What is Fatah? (see "Background" below the questions for details)

2. a) Why have Fatah and Hamas been fighting among themselves? (see "Background" below the questions)
b) Why are Fatah and Hamas attempting to make peace now?
c) What was the outcome of the meeting in the West Bank between Fatah and Hamas?

3. How does Hamas view the peace process with Israel?

4. What do average Palestinians want Fatah and Hamas to do?

5. Ask a parent or grandparent to read the "Background" about Fatah and Hamas and answer the questions:
a) How do you view the attempt at unification between Fatah and Hamas?
b) Do you think it will benefit the Palestinian people?
c) Do you think it will help establish peace between the Palestinians and Israel?
Explain your answers.

6. Paragraph 16 states: "Hamas and Israel have largely stuck to a truce since a punishing Israeli offensive in the Gaza in early 2009."
In paragraph 17 we read: "Violence escalated last Saturday, when Gaza militants fired more than 50 mortar shells into southern Israel. Hamas took responsibility for some of the shelling." And in paragraph 18: "Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan said Saturday that his group would end rocket attacks if Israel stops its strikes."
The Israeli strikes are aimed at stopping the Hamas rocket attacks. What solution do you see to this problem?

CHALLENGE QUESTION:
Paragraph 12 states: "Without unity, Palestinian statehood and a peace agreement with Israel will be even harder to achieve."
Paragraph 15 states: "An outright Hamas election victory that shuts out Fatah would also further stall peace efforts with Israel."
These statements are incorrect.
The Jerusalem Post reports that any peace between Fatah and Hamas will end any chance of peace with Israel: "Hours after the meeting [between Fatah and Hamas, an Israeli] official said that Israel will stop dealing with the Palestinian Authority if it brings Hamas into the government. 'Abbas has to choose whether he wants peace with Israel, or peace with Hamas,' the official said. 'He can't have both. If he chooses peace with Hamas it will bury the peace process [with Israel].'"
Why do you think the Associated Press is giving the false impression that unity between Fatah and Hamas would help establish Palestinian peace with Israel?