Press Association/AP. All rights reserved.The Palestinian Authority (PA), led by President Mahmoud Abbas, is under pressure. On one side you have a moribund "peace process" with the Israeli occupier. On the other hand, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are engaged in a small-scale uprising against Israelis.
In the besieged Gaza Strip, Hamas is under pressure too. Palestinians there barely recover from one Israeli military onslaught before being subjected to another. The prolonged suffering of Gazans has had a negative impact on Hamas's support base.
Most Palestinians want their leaders to overcome their major differences and agree on a unity deal that will last. But after several failed reconciliation attempts in the past, it is little wonder that many Palestinians did not hold their breath when representatives from Fatah and Hamas met in Doha recently.
