RAMALLAH, West Bank — A Fatah delegation is expected in Cairo in the coming days to meet with officials from Egyptian intelligence to discuss Palestinian reconciliation. The delegation, led by Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad, who also heads the reconciliation file, is expected to present a formal response from Fatah about the proposals submitted to Hamas and Fatah to finally implement their on-again, off-again reconciliation.
Hamas announced in a July 19 press release that its political bureau head, Ismail Haniyeh, had relayed to Egyptian intelligence that the movement accepted the Egyptian bid to revive conciliation efforts. A Hamas delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, had visited Cairo July 11 at the invitation of Egyptian intelligence to discuss the reconciliation as well as the situation in Gaza. The delegation returned to Gaza July 17 with a draft containing a number of proposals developed by the Egyptians to advance the stagnant process with Fatah.
On July 19, Turkey's Anadolu Agency published an alleged copy of the reconciliation bid, which contains 10 articles, split into four stages, to be implemented over the course of approximately two months. The proposal calls on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to lift all sanctions imposed on Gaza and provide services, such as electricity, to improve the humanitarian situation. The two parties are to activate the work of the national consensus government in Gaza, launch talks to form a national unity government, discuss security in Gaza and work to implement the 2011 Cairo agreement between Fatah and Hamas. The two movements have signed dozens of agreements since their conflict erupted, in 2007, but the 2011 document is considered the most essential document for all subsequent reconciliation efforts.
While Hamas has agreed to the Egyptian bid, Fatah has yet to issue a formal answer, and its responses have thus far been inconsistent. A Fatah source, who requested anonymity, told Al-Monitor that President Mahmoud Abbas has assigned Central Committee members Ahmad and Rawhi Fattouh to assess the new bid.
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