UPDATE - Palestinian factions sign reconciliation agreement in Algeria

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS ON AGREEMENT

By Qais Abu Samra, Qais Omar Darwesh Omar, and Gulsen Topcu

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Palestinian factions on Thursday signed a reconciliation agreement in Algeria.

Wassel Abu Yusuf, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization told Anadolu Agency, that the Palestinian factions “have signed the Algerian-sponsored reconciliation agreement today.”

Abu Yusuf indicated that a conference is held in the capital Algiers to formally announce the agreement.

He noted that “amendments have been made to the Algerian draft, most notably the removal of the item on the Unity Government”.

The factions agreed to hold general and parliamentary elections in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, within a year as part of reconciliation.

The agreement also included the unification of national institutions and the deployment of necessary resources for reconstruction projects, stressing the importance of concrete steps for reconciliation to actually take place.

It touched on the activation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and its affiliated institutions as the legitimate and sole representatives of the Palestinian people.

The importance of national unity as the basis of resistance against the occupation was also highlighted.

The comprehensive Palestinian reconciliation dialogue was launched in Algeria on Tuesday, with 14 factions participating.

Since the summer of 2007, the Palestinian arena has been politically and geographically divided, with Hamas in control of the Gaza Strip, while the West Bank is administered by a government formed by President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah.