Fatah Delegation Arrives in Egypt to Discuss 'Reconciliation'

A Palestinian boy runs in front of a concrete wall on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Reuters file photo
A Palestinian boy runs in front of a concrete wall on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Reuters file photo
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Fatah Delegation Arrives in Egypt to Discuss 'Reconciliation'

A Palestinian boy runs in front of a concrete wall on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Reuters file photo
A Palestinian boy runs in front of a concrete wall on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Reuters file photo

A delegation from Fatah movement arrived in Cairo Sunday to meet Egyptian officials and Hamas members for reconciliation talks and discussions on the upcoming general elections.

Munir al-Jaghoub, who heads Fatah's Information Department in the Office of Mobilization and Organization, stated that the delegation arrived in Cairo to tackle the Palestinian reconciliation efforts and to discuss topics of mutual interest.

Fatah Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub headed the delegation.

Earlier, the two biggest Palestinian factions agreed to hold the elections in order to put an end to division.

Reliable sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the visit seeks to confirm Egypt’s position and significance as a partner in several issues.

It also seeks to discuss ties with the Palestinian Authority, noting that Egypt has been overseeing the reconciliation efforts for years.

Yet, for the first time, Qatar brokered this month an agreement for calm between Hamas and Fatah which for their part headed to Istanbul to announce the agreement.

In a related context, Egyptian authorities on Sunday reopened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip in both directions, for three days.

The head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Jamil Mizher, slammed bilateral talks between the two factions, saying an inclusive national dialogue is the only guarantee to end division.

But Hamas confirmed that this agreement is not an alternative to the national dialogue rather an introduction to it.

Hussam Badran, a Hamas official responsible for national ties, expressed the movement’s keenness to reach a comprehensive national agreement on various matters.

His statement meant to reassure all factions that the final agreement on elections will be made with all Palestinian factions, not only Fatah.



Top Israeli Security Delegation in Doha for Gaza Talks

An Israeli soldier sits on top of a tank at a camp, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, January 12, 2025. REUTERS
An Israeli soldier sits on top of a tank at a camp, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, January 12, 2025. REUTERS
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Top Israeli Security Delegation in Doha for Gaza Talks

An Israeli soldier sits on top of a tank at a camp, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, January 12, 2025. REUTERS
An Israeli soldier sits on top of a tank at a camp, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, January 12, 2025. REUTERS

A top level Israeli security delegation arrived in Qatar on Sunday for talks on a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in a possible sign of so-far elusive agreements nearing.

Qatar and fellow mediators Egypt and the United States are making renewed efforts to reach a deal to halt the fighting in the enclave and free the remaining 98 hostages held there before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Netanyahu's office said on Saturday that the delegation includes Mossad Head David Barnea, the head of the Shin Bet domestic security service Ronen Bar and the military's head of the hostage brief, Nitzan Alon.

Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met on Saturday with Netanyahu, after having met on Friday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Reuters reported.

Israeli and Palestinian officials have said since Thursday that some progress has been made in the indirect talks between Israel and militant group Hamas but did not elaborate. The sides have been keeping a tight lid on the details being worked out.

It is unclear how they will bridge one of the biggest gaps that has persisted throughout previous rounds of talks: Hamas demands an end to the war while Israel says it won't end the war as long as Hamas rules Gaza and poses a threat to Israelis.

Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across its borders in October 2023. Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with much of the enclave laid to waste and gripped by a humanitarian crisis, and most of its population displaced.