Although disagreements remain between Fateh and Hamas over unity efforts, President Mahmoud Abbas is not planning to give up any time soon. During a visit to Ankara on June 24, he stated that “We are continuing on the path of reconciliation and there will be no turning back”.

While Abbas was in Ankara, Hamas official Khaled Mash’al was in Istanbul holding talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Both sides are seeking ways to overcome disagreements, especially since Hamas has adamantly refused to accept a reappointment of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as part of a unity government. Palestinian officials stated that Hamas would accept “any other official the president proposes, just not Salam Fayyad."

Supposedly, the majority of Palestinians would prefer Salam Fayyad as prime minister and Mahmoud Abbas as president, according to results of a poll released June 20, that was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. It also showed that amidst reconciliation talks, public perception of Hamas has improved moreso than Fateh.

As Palestinians work to fix internal matters, The Middle East Quartet met June 24 under EU chairmanship to formulate a plan that will persuade the Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace talks. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton stated that officials were "conscious of their [regional actors'] needs and conscious of our requirement to step up what we are able to do."

As plans for the Freedom Flotilla II move along despite threats from Israel, Hamas announced on June 23 its support for the 10 international ships that will attempt to break the siege of Gaza. Hamas framed its position in human rights language to remind everyone that the siege has been deemed illegal by numerous international rights groups and UN missions, and therefore, the Flotilla is acting within the law.

On June 24, the U.S. State Department warned its citizens who are embarking on the Flotilla that they may face repercussions from Israeli authorities, and they may be breaking U.S. law. They stated that since the Gaza Strip is run by Hamas, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization, Americans who give them support could be “subject to fines and jail”.

On June 20, US President Barack Obama spoke about the stalled peace process at a fundraiser with the Democratic Friends of Israel group. He said that his administration’s “creative powers” will be used in the cause of peace because there may be “tactical” disagreements between the two countries in the coming days. Furthermore, he added, “It’s not going to be sufficient for us just to keep on doing the same things we've been doing and expect somehow that things are going to work themselves out.”

Regarding the upcoming Palestinian bid for statehood in September, Israel’s foreign ministry is working on a campaign to keep down the number of states who will recognize Palestine, Israel Radio reported on June 23.

The department was instructed by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to monitor which countries were still undecided over the bid, and then take steps to lobby for the rejection of a Palestinian state. So far, it is expected that 118 countries will support the Palestinians’ bid for statehood.

In the Gaza Strip, Israel has approved $100 million worth of houses and schools, stated June 21 by Israeli and UN officials. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was given permission by Israel to bring materials for 18 new schools and 1,200 new houses.

"I welcome this significant step and I hope it will happen in a timely fashion," said U.N. Middle East envoy Robert Serry.

On June 22, in the village of Bilin, the Israeli military began to dismantle parts of the separation barrier in accordance with a 2007 Israeli Supreme Court ruling that has been ignored up until now. Even with the new route, 435 acres of land will still fall on the opposite side of the barrier, separating residents from their own farmland.

Protestors marched to the wall on June 24 joined by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad who praised them and stated that “Israel should either give Palestinians freedom or the right to vote.”