The Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah on Thursday afternoon signed a reconciliation deal in Cairo ending a decade-long rift between the two Palestinian factions.
The deal includes security administrative and border control arrangements in the Gaza Strip.
Heads of Hamas and Fatah delegations to Cairo talks addressed a news conference disclosing details of the reconciliation agreement.
The news conference was recorded ahead of time. Shortly before its broadcast Egyptian television published pictures of Salah Al-Arouri deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau and Azzam al-Ahmad a senior Fatah official signing the reconciliation agreement in the presence of Egyptian intelligence minister Khaled Fawzi.
Following the signing members of the two delegations shook hands and hugged warmly amid applause from the attendees. The news conference and the signing ceremony will be broadcast fully later by the official Egyptian satellite channel.
According to leaks published by Anadolu news agency Hamas and Fatah officials agreed during rounds of talks that started in Cairo last Tuesday to enable the Palestinian government to carry out its duties fully in Gaza no later than December 1st.
Regarding the security arrangements a delegation from the Palestinian Authority security apparatuses will head for Gaza to hold meetings with security officials there to discuss the ways to start assuming their responsibilities.
The deal also addressed the issue of the civil servants that were appointed by Hamas. The parties agreed to authorize the legal and administrative committee that was recently formed by the Palestinian government to find solutions to the issue.
According to the agreement the legal and administrative committee will include members from Gaza and are expected to finish its mission in February 2018 before submitting the results of its work to the Palestinian government for approval.
The government is also committed under the deal to paying the salaries of the civil servants in Gaza fully until their issue is addressed.
Anadolu affirmed that the two parties would meet again next December to evaluate the implementation of what had been agreed upon.
