they are carrying out that makes it more difficult for them to enter through here. but as the government prepares to expel thousands more. are still getting through these 5 young migrants arrived here yesterday they have been walking they say for 25 days and they already know how the chilean government's clance to send them back to their home country if they're caught so they say they're going to walk through the desert here around the mountains are border police blockades are barriers everything they need to do to keep going. others simply can't keep walking like nightly who brought her 10 year old granddaughter ashley to chile to join her father a dream that now seems more unlikely than ever. c.n.n. al-jazeera called chani chile. half past the hour on al-jazeera these are the headlines the un human rights

investigator for meanwhile says there's growing evidence security forces have used live ammunition on protesters and of thousands of demonstrators have been rallying against the military coup for a 7th day of hugo pollens monitoring it from hong kong the protests are growing despite the government's efforts to try and contain them for instance in the eastern monsters it's rubber bullets were said to be fired student leaders were also arrested there have been a number of arrests made so far to date since those protests started around 350 people have been arrested in the clue include activists protesters student leaders and a large number of human rights people or advocates. your stomach rats have finished presenting their case against donald trump in his 2nd impeachment trial they said there's overwhelming evidence that he incited the capitol hill riot last month trump's lawyers are to present their defense next the u.k. economy is recorded its biggest annual contraction in more than 300 years driven

largely by the pandemic g.d.p. shrank nearly 10 percent in 2020 the largest decline among g 7 countries it did however grow one percent at the end of the year which means britain averted another official recession the families of $35.00 men thought to be trapped inside a tunnel in india's state say only a miracle can save their loved ones now rescuers have been moving mountains of sludge to try to reach the workman but they haven't been able to make much progress these 36 people have died in around 200 still missing and turkey has a limping organizers say they will try to find a new president as soon as possible after your shooter morry officially resigned on friday over his recent sexist comments morty had faced a backlash in japan and abroad after saying women talk too much during meetings and have a strong sense of rivalry it's not for today thanks for your company the latest edition of inside story is coming up next.

rival palestinian factions agree on terms to hold the elections so will the 1st presidential and legislative votes in 15 years and finally go ahead how will this to me and reconciliation affect attempts to find peace with israel this is the inside story. hello welcome to the program i'm cuban l. 14 palestinian factions appear to have put aside some of their differences open the way for elections to be held the agreement includes the main rivals for thought and

hamas has been reached the talks in egypt's capital cairo the 2 sides have been fighting since hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and held power in the gaza strip a year off to there's been repeated attempts to hold elections in the past few years and if these go ahead they'll be the 1st in 15 years the parliamentary and presidential votes and else that take place in may and july respectively it read reports from ramallah in the occupied west bank. this could be the 1st benefit for palestinians following talks between fatah hand harassing cairo egypt indefinitely opening its border crossing with the gaza strip the crossing is the only passage to the outside world for gaza that is not controlled by israel the egyptian authorities closed it in 2014 citing security concerns and have sometimes opened it mainly for humanitarian reasons despite the decision palestinians say

it's not easy to make a crossing. i haven't seen my family or my 2 daughters in 2 years i thought this could lead to an opportunity to visit them but we haven't seen relaxed measures the number of people allowed in is very low hundreds of palestinians crossed into egypt on wednesday and thousands more are waiting for their turn while many feel relieved they're still worried a journey that usually take several hours has been taking days because of egyptian checkpoints the palestinian factions meeting in cairo say their daughter reconciliation has been made shorter masse won the 2006 parliamentary elections and formed a national unity government with fattah but they clashed over power in 2007 creating the deepest palestinian division this time they've agreed to all the elections as a step towards ending their divisions of the future split.

is going to continue. for. the with bank and there's a. world having this is this is this is the 1st step of a future. several unity agreements have been signed in the past decade but and did a 14 year division many palestinians are skeptical. many people fear the scenarios previous elections will be repeated they fear the results will be respected and power won't be shared people we spoke to here fear that the elections that they've been waiting so long for will only keep the sea people in power and that by avoiding resolving their main differences there keeping them alive. the occupied west bank. in a joint statement at the end of the 2 day summit in cairo palestinian factions

pledged to abide by the timetable for the long delayed votes and accept the results and election court will be set up to monitor the process and resolve any disputes it will include judges from the west bank gaza and east jerusalem uniforms palestinian police offices will guard voting sites in the west bank and gaza the 2 groups also agreed to allow unrestricted campaigning and to release political detainees held in the west bank and gaza. thank. you. let's now bring in our guests in ramallah we have mostafa a palestinian politician and secretary general of the palestinian national initiative. is knesset member representing the movement and in chicago. is co-founder of the intifada and author of the battle for justice in palestine a very warm welcome to you all thanks for joining us here on all just there is

inside story i'd like to begin with you ali abunimah this is not the 1st time that we've been told that palestinian elections are going ahead it all sounds great everything i just read out there sounds great everything that's been agreed to do you think these elections that are being planned out now will actually go ahead. i don't know if they'll go ahead there's plenty of reasons to think they might not go ahead but even if they do i wouldn't argue that they are necessarily a great thing as your report noted there were elections held in 2006 which the how massive fairly a to do list run the problem was that mahmoud abbas and fatah did not recognize there is a result and they 'd aligned with israel the united states and various arab regimes to overturn the result and to isolate how mess and

created in fact the disastrous split that we're living in now so i don't know why have mass would trust the same people the same a bias in the same fattah and the same so-called international community to respect an election result now the bigger question though is is what do elections mean for a people under occupation it's a fiction that they're electing a government palestinians don't have a state they don't have a government the so-called palestinian authority is not free to do anything. the only thing it exists to do is to collaborate with israel and so-called security coordination and that's why we see the europeans and others being excited about the prospect of elections because for them they think it's a way to renew the legitimacy of the palestinian authority which exists for the purpose of maintaining israeli occupation and control really just the

palestinian bad to stand so ok nothing has been resolved since the 2006 cobe i met would i best against the previous election result ok i've no idea why have most would think it can be trusted new makes a lot of good points we're going to get on to the p.a. and the role of the p.l.o. a little later i'd like to bring you in my stuff about beauty that was a very dire assessment we just had you were actually part of this meeting in cairo which got us to this point you must be baffled pretty confident that these elections are going to go ahead and that they're very good thing. well i wish i was 200 percent confident but i would say that i made an obstacle has been removed from conducting the elections and learning i do agree that the palestinian authority in the left vent and in gaza really exist and that is are you keep patients and this so or die trying to be controlled by the so-called or slow agreements which mean we

demanded in a low that it was not to be a difference with the elections but regardless of all of that this authority is going to bring people like who it is the competitive predicting the fact that the problem for palestinian 90 percent of the palestinian budget is the palestinian taxes that the conservative political people believe that is what in the. and this government decides how must go for help who get the vaccine it is now how is the health and what and the near it is it going for or certain things that i think really like. soul and change the democratic tune in this the god is very much important without. getting that number in the ration and. forgotten ok but i'm not back on my original question coming back to my original question was heard before that palestinian elections were going to go ahead with had before talk of reconsideration what is different this time. when it will be

different if what we decided in cairo will be implemented and we spoke about religious issues well i'm sure that elections should not be a substitute to resolving the internal palestinian division so there we have decisions made to go forward with internal division including the national unity government after the elections we would have preferred to have a course the 2nd issue was the issue of freedom because so far the freedom of so much control and the mandate is there was a major issue in the resolution of both freedom of expression freedom of political activity in being any form of political including that of people based on their electronic. social media grinds on so on which was used very good to separate the the expression but in those other words the separation

happened they got so many good germans would be that our evolution that was the can in god would be implemented by the press in the west bank and gaza ok so i don't know about what it's all about in terms of the original i want to come back to the moment i want to come back to you in a moment 1st i need to go to our forecasts if. how do you think israel will be viewing these developments. look i think that my view is a kind of a combination between the views that they. do gentlemen they presented before all. i think that there are signs but not mold and that the doubt of science of democracy in those elections assuming that we will be taking place now i mean signs or 'd maybe because. still signs of or but just signs not moten dots wolf so over any day over the palestinian people i as

a supporter will be policed in a sub really over the all of the palestinian occupied territories i think that they on the one hand there's a good feeling and i welcome the elections because i they said signs of sovereignty dnd democracy but as we only know democracies not only it will see job of elections the mocha see is also substantial the idea is to shunt substantial collectivists of people so when it now unfortunately the palestinian people are looks over and dusted under these lately okupe a ship in docks and i agree with them instead of witty here there is a huge problem israel is still the occupier israel is the corner and it is a skill that doesn't allow the palestinian people to consume its on some of it and independent lives so what is not even a daoism is nothing at all had fully what it would israel and now and actions to go

ahead funny. by definition or by definition no because there is an occupation so if there is an occupation it's clear and then of course that people don't vote for the ok. in day vote fully the palestinian authority and as i said we will there as good signs you bills elections because there are signs of so many and the future independent ok but fear as long as the israeli you can patient goes on the palestinians are not truly treated and as long as they look. we cannot speak literally about for fred's democracy ok the problem is it's a dozen or so those elections i wouldn't say that those elections out totally sham but those elections are being true democratic because 'd down might might be for

siege only democratic but not substantially happening under an occupation ali abunimah can you help us to zoom out to give us the context here why is this announcement tattling now between fatah and hamas why why is all of all of this happening now. well i think we have to go back to the issue that dr must of about who to race of so called national reconciliation and national unity and you know there's this narrative that this display that between hamas and fattah how and why can't they just get along and there needs to be a focus on the why this split exists in the 1st place the fundamental split and why it has existed and persist is because on the one side you have mahmoud abbas and fattah at the internationally supported palestinian authority in the west bank who believe in collaboration with the israeli occupation this is called security coordination where the palestinian authority which people would presumably be

voting for works closely with the israeli army works with the shin bet the israeli 6 secret police helps to put palestinians in prison i'm the one hand and on the other side you have have massed which supports resistance and in fact its military wing as as we know has fought 3 wars with israel in the past decade and in the as since the 2006 election so the basis for national unity has to be. calm to be. you know one side collaborates and the other side resists unity means either mahmoud i bass has to give up collaboration with the israeli military occupation or hamas has to give up resistance and since so far neither has been willing to budge what would a best is totally committed to collaboration and how mass remains committed to resistance there can be no unity and there can be no papering over these cracks

that's why we've seen over the years i count i don't know how many so-called reconciliation agreements and meetings in cairo and announcements and they all fall apart because of this fundamental split the people. all i think think can just be made to disappear so the question is since we know that mahmoud abbas was absolutely committed to collaboration with israel the question is has have masses political leadership given up on the idea of resistance and decided to join mahmoud abbas in a coalition and the other point i just want to make in relation to the agreement in cairo that dr but what he talked about is it's not up to promise the unions to guarantee whether the elections a free or fair because as noted this is on the occupation and israel defines virtually every palestinian political party as

a terrorist organization and right now there are members of the the last palestinian legislative council legislative council that was elected in 2006 like khaled meshaal rather who are in israeli prisons so israel will not respect israel will only respect the results of the election if it gets the result which it once was which is the perpetuation of mahmoud abbas and his collaborationist regime ok will not allow a result that does not meet its requirements and nor will the so-called international community if hamas wins again the e.u. will immediately start responding so well the by big ministration and all the rest so let's not pretend that palestinians really have any choice the only thing they're being asked to do is to elect a palestinian authority party that continued to collaborate with israel against their right ok i know interrupt because i need to make sure that we have

a spread and spread evenly discussion you made a number of very good points i'd like to come back to my stuff about a good deal just on one of the points that we just had there talking about either is hamas is giving up resistance or abbas is giving up cooperation with israel that's the only way to this can go forward what's your take. well in my opinion of course there's a difference between hamas and fattah on the issue of the tigris the records that should be conducted on the type of relationship with israel to patients but increasingly do it in the last 2 years how mass also became an atmosphere which is under eat like the v.a. the fact is that israeli patients and those that in my opinion during the last years is this that i'm going to consider getting more of a struggle over and money which is about occupation. is so that basically is the side to who are you the suicide of even getting close to declaring that they would run i only for exist in the coming election only fight and that. which means less

means there are $32.00 to get together to consign the issue of the vikings also to clean this up that is i mean just change and to me just development but we should also note the following does the palestinian people have directed to see that we are not only talking about the leadership of the senate we're also talking about the leadership of the p.l.o. and product of the agreement that was concluded in cairo is that there should be elections of the palestinian national council and one thing that we don't want to see is a formation formation of another court the system with the fantasy and political groups proxies divide the seats between themselves without giving the people the public the right to choose i think the palestinian public has been deprived really long lines that i need that was not in the p.l.o.

or in the palestinian authority and that is that's the we should get about and we should concentrate on understanding for one more official i have to mention here is that. some of the changes that were made in good will are very important if they are implemented because we demanded that the law is changed to give an opportunity for the younger one addition i want to propose that it was to be done. or really thought under through 21 we demanded that. women will have at least upwards of 50 percent of the seats of the fundament which is very important but isn't what we have to be. but the big question with me what is that will do we expect that they will graduate next in the middle maybe an area that's why this election should be good in the direction of the government run for popular member. ok i'm

going to have mental issues despite that a this is not a question. is what the national committee will do will be again repeat what they've done in 2006 of action well this will not be acceptable the world community has the will of the citizens of the earth who live out of this i want to bring up pick up that point and pretty off across the face as with her and talked about a few times now it was the us that supported attempts to push hamas out of gaza so yes how much on gaza afterwhile actions in 2006 it's been very involved in palestinian affairs to say the least so what will the biden administration be thinking now when the developments that are happening between the palestinian sides is the us going to get involved again could the u.s. in some way deal with hamas. presently unfortunately we know that they are what i prefer to refer to us today american imperialism but i do

ben so lead them in a con man administration and we know that the american imperialism is being well while the globe in the cooling anybody in the middle east and there is already stated tried to kill so it says it will own interests so it's not a myth that will fade but i bring out one for story not the main question is if we want to go 'd to. the intervention of the united states and i personally object to it i don't want to be and look to see any intervention by the united states because we all know that the united states has always been biased in favor of israel is what is the ok bio i want to mention 2 things that are very important or do on a day to create a lake that would lead to elections but i think dots it into a clique they are what is the nascent nation state be they a basic law that the israeli knesset that is a knock that if you is

a girl which actually 10 is an into and up by what i state this is one thing the 2nd is the only see it but speaking of the israeli government under the thumb yeah with specially the last 5 years of soul it actually has been bill sowing and ethnic cleansing in the occupied palestinian territories so in that sense israel as i said before but now i said it even more bluntly that we hate it given their. nation state beater and the practice of ethnic cleansing the palestinians now and then a serious threat even more than before and other such threats the elections and that's the main question in my view the elections the question is whether the elections are going to change. the attitude off is a way that those elections may change something that

really moves the israeli government in a close election these are look to it is very important but what about this since we are talking across britain with the question of the. elections or everything the palestinian for the palestinian authority so i will focus on that still the question is whether those elections are going to freak the palestinians from that terrible of you patient apartheid if we think that is it is because one thing i think we have in question one thing i think it hasn't happened yet this that we can i talk about what i always saying where we're running out of time but one thing that i think we have to ask and i'd like to put to you ali abunimah how do palestinians actually feel about the concept of an actions do they feel like palestinian politicians can actually represent them i mean mahmoud abbas's as i believe 85 years old does he represent or can he represent a very young population who have you know many things that they want on said by

their politicians. well that's a very good question we have to remember that even if these elections go ahead they exclude the vast majority of the palestinian people remembered the palestinian people as not just the residents of the west bank and gaza strip but the millions of palestinians forcibly exiled from their homeland by israel soley on the racist grounds that they're not jewish so i know that the cairo document that dr but it would be mentioned says there should be elections for the palestine national council but the reality is that that has never happened before i knew you'd have to overcome the practicality of holding elections for palestinian refugees in jordan in syria and lebanon and other countries where this this has just been unprecedented them i doubt it would be permitted to happen so even if they grew agree to that on paper the elections in the west bank and gaza would not produce

a legitimate leadership for the whole palestinian people ok and if have mass and spread to her run together they don't even give the people of the west bank and gaza strip any sort of meaningful choice i think we should stop kidding ourselves that under a brutal military occupation and the apartheid regime like israel that we can have elections any more than black south africans could have had valid the elections under ben to stand condition ok we would have to mean a definite time items i asked apologies we have run out of time a big thank you to all of our guests moustapha by gucci off across a fence me up on the mat thank you. and thank you too for watching you can see the program again any time by visiting our web site. of a further discussion go to our facebook page that's facebook dot com ford slash a.j. inside story they also join the conversation on twitter a handle is at a.j. inside story from a conveyor belt and from the whole team here. it's

one of the most recognized sites around the world saying for support from far and wide but for the families back home it's more than just a football club and he wants his policy should be left out of football you know doesn't know about football there's no one politics and this is you stop one of. the passion and the politics of the liverpool f.c. the defined giant. part of the fans who make football series on al-jazeera.

be the hero the world needs. washing. hello there i'm a stand here today in doha with the headlines for you here on al-jazeera the u.n. human rights investigation for me and man says there's growing evidence that security forces have used live ammunition on protesters tens of thousands of demonstrators have been rallying against the military coup now for the 7th day in a row myanmar's new military leader has urged demonstrators to work with the offices if they want to more crecy the giunta is releasing more than 23000 prisoners in a move that it says is consistent with establishing a new democratic state devika pollen has more now from hong kong in fact the

protests are growing despite the government's efforts to try and contain the.