A senior Palestinian official said rival factions are expected to meet in Cairo soon to overcome obstacles to national reconciliation and sustain the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, warning that the truce is “in danger” of collapsing at any time.
Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told Asharq Al-Awsat that “a Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue is planned to take place in Cairo in the coming period, and we expect it to happen very soon.”
He added: “We look forward to its success amid concerns that the agreement could fall apart.”
Abu Yousef underscored that “the Palestinian side values Egypt’s role,” noting that an earlier understanding had been reached to form a 15-member committee of independents, technocrats, and qualified figures. “The committee will be announced once consensus is reached on several pending issues during the factions’ meeting,” he said.
The PLO Executive Committee member said the agreement stipulates that the committee will operate under government supervision and reject any form of foreign guardianship. He also stressed that “security responsibility in Gaza must rest with legitimate Palestinian security forces under the authority of the PLO.”
“The Palestinian government is the body authorized to assume security control in Gaza,” Abu Yousef said. “I believe this will happen in the near stages, as arrangements are being made for the government to take charge of Gaza, including matters related to the Rafah crossing and the 2005 EU-Palestinian agreement, as well as recovery efforts, strengthening Palestinian resilience, delivering aid, and advancing reconstruction.”
A well-informed Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat that several factions are already in Cairo, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the Democratic Reformist Current led by Mohammad Dahlan.
“Cairo will invite all factions to a broad meeting within days, and preparations are currently underway,” the source said.
On Thursday, Diaa Rashwan, chairman of Egypt’s State Information Service, wrote on Facebook that “the Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue sessions are about to resume in Cairo under the coordination of the Egyptian government.”
He called on Hamas and other Palestinian factions to join the PLO and use the upcoming sessions to make a preliminary announcement before delving into the details later.
Earlier this month, on October 10, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the PFLP issued a joint statement confirming that the three groups were working with Egypt to convene a comprehensive national meeting “to unify the Palestinian position and determine the next steps after the ceasefire in Gaza.”
The meeting comes as the Gaza ceasefire begins to take hold under a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. The plan’s first phase includes the release of hostages and bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, followed by the disarmament of Hamas and the formation of an administrative body to govern the enclave.
Commenting on the truce’s fragility, Abu Yousef said: “We know the occupation intends to resume fighting, particularly since there are signs it might return to destruction and reimpose control. We recognize that obstacles remain in the next phases, and we seek to overcome them both internationally and through the factions’ meeting to eliminate any threat to the agreement.”
Palestinian media reported on Saturday that Israeli forces opened “heavy fire” east of Gaza City. Medical sources and witnesses said 11 Palestinians from one family - including seven children and three women - were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a civilian vehicle east of Gaza City on Friday night, marking the deadliest incident since the ceasefire took effect two weeks ago.
The truce’s first phase has faced setbacks amid Israel’s insistence on the full return of Israeli bodies held by Hamas, while the movement says the task is complicated and requires special equipment to retrieve remains from the rubble.
On Thursday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the Israeli government to delay the implementation of subsequent phases of the agreement with Hamas unless the remaining bodies are handed over.
