Azzam Ahmed: Enabling Govt. in Gaza Key Factor for Palestinian Dialogue

Palestinians gather at the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip as they wait to welcome the arrival of Palestinian PM Rami Hamdallah on October 2, 2017. (AFP)
Palestinians gather at the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip as they wait to welcome the arrival of Palestinian PM Rami Hamdallah on October 2, 2017. (AFP)
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Azzam Ahmed: Enabling Govt. in Gaza Key Factor for Palestinian Dialogue

Palestinians gather at the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip as they wait to welcome the arrival of Palestinian PM Rami Hamdallah on October 2, 2017. (AFP)
Palestinians gather at the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip as they wait to welcome the arrival of Palestinian PM Rami Hamdallah on October 2, 2017. (AFP)

The first dialogue session between the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah got underway in Cairo on Tuesday.

Head of the Fatah delegation at the Palestinian reconciliation talks Azzam al-Ahmed said that the key issue that was agreed upon for the dialogue agenda was enabling the government to operate in the Gaza Strip, reported the Palestinian news agency (WAFA).

He said that the case of the border crossings has been “resolved” and practical steps should be immediately taken on the ground, whether on the Israeli or Egyptian side.

Ahmed revealed that Hamas effectively controls the crossings through its security forces. This issue should be resolved within a week or two.

The talks between Hamas and Fatah will go over the 2011 reconciliation agreement that was signed in Cairo. They will address the measures needed to hold a meeting for the factions that signed the deal.

Tangible steps will be taken to implement the agreement when these factions convene, explained Ahmed.

The Cairo talks will also address general elections, the judiciary, security and Palestinian Liberation Organization.

The Hamas and Fatah delegations taking part in the Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation talks had arrived in Cairo on Monday night.



Trump, Netanyahu Meet Again as Gaps Said to Narrow in Gaza Ceasefire Talks

07 July 2025, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak privately in the Vermeil Room before a dinner at the White House. (Daniel Torok/White House/dpa)
07 July 2025, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak privately in the Vermeil Room before a dinner at the White House. (Daniel Torok/White House/dpa)
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Trump, Netanyahu Meet Again as Gaps Said to Narrow in Gaza Ceasefire Talks

07 July 2025, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak privately in the Vermeil Room before a dinner at the White House. (Daniel Torok/White House/dpa)
07 July 2025, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak privately in the Vermeil Room before a dinner at the White House. (Daniel Torok/White House/dpa)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday met for a second time in two days with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Gaza as Trump's Middle East envoy said Israel and Hamas were closing their differences on a ceasefire deal.

Netanyahu arrived at the White House shortly before 5 p.m. EDT for a meeting that was not expected to be open to the press. The two men met for several hours during a dinner at the White House on Monday during the Israeli leader's third US visit since the president began his second term on January 20.

Netanyahu met with Vice President JD Vance and then visited the US Capitol on Tuesday. He told reporters after a meeting with the Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson that while he did not think Israel's campaign in the Palestinian enclave was done, negotiators are "certainly working" on a ceasefire.

"We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas' military and government capabilities," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu's return to the White House to see Trump on Tuesday pushed back his meeting with US Senate leaders to Wednesday.

Shortly after Netanyahu spoke, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said the issues keeping Israel and Hamas from agreeing had dropped to one from four and he hoped to reach a temporary ceasefire agreement this week.

"We are hopeful that by the end of this week, we'll have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire. Ten live hostages will be released. Nine deceased will be released," Witkoff told reporters at a meeting of Trump's Cabinet.

The Gaza war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.

Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced by the war and nearly half a million people are facing famine within months, according to United Nations estimates.

Trump had strongly supported Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics by criticizing prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges that Netanyahu denies.

In his remarks to reporters at the US Congress, Netanyahu praised Trump, saying there has never been closer coordination between the US and Israel in his country's history.