Hamas, Fatah begin talks in Cairo to resolve disputes

The Hamas and Fatah movements met in Cairo on Wednesday in an effort to fully implement a reconciliation agreement signed in April, Egyptian officials told Ma'an.

The talks were conducted under the supervision of director of Egyptian intelligence Muhammad Farid Tuhami, and will focus on the West Bank-Gaza unity government in addition to the reconstruction of the Strip in the aftermath of the Israeli offensive, the officials said.

The two-day talks will focus on "the return (of the unity government) in the Gaza Strip and the implementation of its authority without obstacles," AFP quoted the head of Fatah's delegation, Azzam Al-Ahmad, as saying.

Fatah representatives in Cairo were al-Ahmad, Zakariyya al-Agha, Sakhr Bseiso and Hussein al-Sheikh. Hamas was represented by Mousa Abu Marzouq, Khalil al-Hayya, and Mahmoud Zahhar. Islamic Jihad leaders Khalid al-Batsh and Nafith Azzam were also present.

Egyptian officials told Ma'an that both sides had agreed that the unity government should start operating in Gaza as soon as possible. The government should also be in charge of reconstruction, and is expected to deploy security forces along Gaza's borders with Egypt. 

The sides also planned to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held as soon as possible, as agreed upon in the unity deal.

The talks come after a joint Palestinian delegation and Israel agreed to hold indirect talks in late October to thrash out a lasting truce in Gaza.

Under Egyptian mediation, Israelis and Palestinians agreed on Aug. 26 to a ceasefire that ended a 50-day war between Hamas and Israeli forces.

But in order to negotiate with Israel in October, internal Palestinian divisions must be put aside and the two rival factions must agree on a unified strategy during talks with the Israeli negotiators.

The Palestinian rivals set up a unity government of independents in June but are at odds again, with Abbas threatening to end the administration and accusing Hamas of running a "shadow government" as de facto ruler in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas in turn accuses Abbas's Palestinian Authority, headquartered in Ramallah, of not paying its 45,000 employees in Gaza.

The unity government is also crucial ahead of an international donor conference on Oct. 12, to be hosted by Cairo, on the reconstruction of Gaza.