Rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah said Wednesday they had resolved their deep divisions, opening the way for a unity government and national elections.
The deal, which took many officials by surprise, was thrashed out in Egypt and followed a series of secret meetings.
"The two sides signed initial letters on an agreement. All points of differences have been overcome," Taher Al-Nono, the Hamas government spokesman in Gaza, told Reuters. According to Al-Nono, Cairo would shortly invite both sides to a signing ceremony.
For his part, Azzam al-Ahmad, head of the Fatah delegation, told Egypt's state television that there has been a comprehensive and final agreement. The agreement calls for presidential and legislative elections to be held within a year, Ahmad told AFP by telephone in the West Bank political capital of Ramallah.
Egypt's official MENA news agency reported, meanwhile, that the two rival groups have reached an "understanding" in Cairo on setting up a transitional unity government.
The factions "reached a complete understanding after talks on all the points, including the formation of a transitional government with a specific mandate and setting a date for elections," MENA said. Egypt will now call a meeting of all Palestinian factions to sign a reconciliation agreement in Cairo, it added.
Egypt hosts initial signing of Palestinian reconciliation deal
CAIRO, (PIC)-- Egypt has hosted the first signing of a reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah, senior Hamas politburo official Izzat al-Resheq tells the PIC.
Egypt will invite various factions to sign the final agreement within the week in the presence of Hamas politburo chairman Khalid Mishaal and Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas.
He said a press conference will be held at 8pm concerning the issue.
Head of the Palestinian center for studies Ibrahim Al-Derrawi said that delegations from Hamas and Fatah factions resumed on Wednesday the inter-Palestinian reconciliation talks in Cairo.
Derrawi added member of Hamas's political bureau Mousa Abu Marzouk and senior Fatah official Azzam Al-Ahmed led their delegations.
Sources told the PIC on Wednesday that the parties came to understanding on many pending issues related to Palestinian reconciliation.
Hamas and Fatah restart reconciliation talks in Cairo
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
It is impossible to predict whether or not this unity government will successfully lay the foundation of Palestinian statehood. However, it is undeniable that the alliance between Hamas and Fatah reflects a significant political change.
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