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The following is research published today from MEMRI’s Special Dispatch Series and the MEMRI TV Project. Special Dispatch No. 3791—Palestinians/Hamas The Fatah-Hamas Accord: Fatah Drops International Community in Favor of National Unity Yesterday (April 27, 2011), Fatah and Hamas initialed a document of understandings as a foundation for a "Palestinian National Accord" agreement, to be signed by all the Palestinian factions on May 4. The ceremony is to take place in Cairo, under the aegis of the Egyptian regime and with the presence of PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Political Bureau head Khaled Mash'al. The following are details published by the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida: The document of understandings – signed by the head of the Fatah party in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), 'Azzam Al-Ahmad, and by the deputy head of Hamas's Political Bureau, Moussa Abu Marzouq – has not been released to the media. However, according to statements made by Al-Ahmad and Abu Marzouq in a press conference, it sets out understandings that have been appended to the Egyptian document brokered by the previous Egyptian regime, and speaks of establishing a government of experts and an elections committee; holding elections for the presidency, the PLC, and the Palestinian National Council (PNC) within one year; and reactivating the PLC. The original Egyptian document, drafted following talks sponsored by the previous Egyptian regime, was signed by Fatah in October 2009, whereas Hamas refused to sign it. Under the sponsorship of the new Egyptian regime, the document was amended with the new understandings, which, according to senior Hamas figure Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, have become "part of the document," thus yielding a new version of the reconciliation agreement that is acceptable to Hamas. Al-Zahhar said that the issues of contention – the elections and their timing and oversight, the government's composition and tasks, and the procedure for establishing a supreme security council – have been cleared up. To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5233.htm. Special Dispatch No. 3790—Hamas/Palestinians/Islam and the West/ U.S. and the Arab & Muslim World/ Europe and the Arab & Muslim World Hamas Leaders Respond to Agreement with Fatah; Deputy Head of Political Bureau Moussa Abu Marzouq: 'The Quartet Has Become Obsolete' Following are excerpts from reactions by Hamas leaders to the agreement reached between Hamas and Fatah, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on April 27, 2011. To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2904.htm. Deputy Head of Hamas Political Bureau Moussa Abu Marzouq: "We know that one of the main issues that was in dispute was the fact that every government must have a political platform, and that if it has no political platform, the platform of the president becomes that of the Palestinian government. The Palestinian political platform was in dispute, due to the terms set by the Quartet. "Now the Quartet has become obsolete, along with its terms, and it is not taken too much into consideration. The Quartet and its terms were not mentioned in these understandings even once. Isn't that right, brother Azzam?" To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5232.htm.