Hamas: Agreement reached with Fatah

By Yaser al-Banna, Ali Abo Rezeg

GAZA CITY (AA) – Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have reached an agreement after talks held since Tuesday in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.


"Ismail Haniyeh [Hamas chief] has just announced that an agreement was reached dawn on Thursday between Fatah and Hamas movements under Egyptian auspices," Taher al-Nunu, Haniyeh’s media advisor said in a press statement released early Thursday morning.


Al-Nuno gave no further details on the content of the deal.


Palestinian media outlets have said that the two factions would hold a press conference later Thursday at in Cairo to announce the details of the agreement.


Delegates from rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah started reconciliation talks in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday to heal a decade-long rift.


Cairo is currently leading efforts to heal a political split between Gaza-based Hamas group and the West Bank-based Fatah movement.

Last week, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah held his first Cabinet meeting in Gaza since the unity government was drawn up in 2014, in a major step towards Palestinian reconciliation.

The West Bank and the Gaza Strip have remained politically and administratively divided since 2007, when Hamas wrested control of the strip from Fatah following several days of street fighting.

Hamas’s capture of Gaza in 2007 ended an earlier -- if short-lived -- unity government that was established after Hamas swept 2006 Palestinian legislative polls.