Palestinian talks: Fatah reconciliation delegation arrives in Cairo for negotiations

Fatah delegations arrives in Cairo for talks
(Image: Ahram-Online)

An official reconciliation delegation of the Palestinian Movement Fatah arrived in Cairo late of Tuesday, 9 February, for the talks with the Egyptian officials regarding the negotiations with Hamas, the rival Palestinian force.

Fatah delegation arrives in Cairo after the two days long talks with Hamas held earlier in Doha, Qatar.

The delegation of Fatah officials is headed by Azzam Ahmed and its aim is to hold the meetings with Egyptian officials in order to share the outcomes and provide with the updates regarding the talks with Hamas, held in Doha, according to the Fatah sources.

Round reconciliation talks between the rival Palestinian forces of Hamas and Fatah started in the capital of Qatar, Doha, two days earlier. According to the Palestinian news agency Ma'an Hamas and Fatah have finally reached an agreement over a number of the controversial issues, including the Rafah crossing's security arrangements. Rafah crossing is the border checkpoint connecting the besieged Gaza with Egyptian Sinai.

According to the Palestinian news outlets the sides agreed during the talks that the Fatah's Presidential Guard soldiers would take charge of Rafah crossing and providing security there, while the Hamas staff would be able to continue its working at the Rafah crossing as well, in cooperation with Fatah.

However, despite the number of agreements between the sides there are still some disputes remaining. Thus, Hamas continues accusing Fatah officials of preventing the government from paying the salaries to the employees in Gaza since the Gaza Strip was seized and the power went to Fatah in 2007. Fatah in its turn accuses Hamas of maintaining the second, actually rival government in Gaza and of refusing to cede the management of Gaza border.

But, despite the number of tensions and disagreements, the sides agreed over several important issues, especially regarding the security measures at the border crossing, and the powers also claimed they understand the necessity of cooperation and forming the unity government.

It's worth mentioning that tensions between official Cairo and Hamas, which is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood group, currently banned and proclaimed a terrorist organization in Egypt, have deteriorated significantly since the ouster of the Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsi in summer 2013 and the following crash of the Islamists in Egypt. Egyptian officials accused Hamas of assisting Egyptian Islamists and jihadists in Northern Sinai, what Hamas strongly denies.