Egypt to attend Palestinian Authority’s meeting in Gaza

CAIRO – 3 October 2017: A high-profile Egyptian official will reportedly visit the Gaza Strip to participate in the Palestinian Authority’s first meeting in 3 years in the strip as part of the reconciliation deal between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, according to media reports.

Egyptian prominent TV talk show host Amr Adeeb said Monday on ON Live channel that an Egyptian representative would sit at the Palestinian meeting table to be chaired by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.

The planned meeting would follow a decade of division between the two major Palestinian factions. The rift occurred after Hamas won the 2006 parliamentary election, winning control of the strip from Fatah, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The following year witnessed violent conflicts leaving many dead and Hamas ousted Fatah from Gaza, which still controls the West Bank.

Cairo sponsored the Palestinian reconciliation talks over the last 11 years, which finally resulted in the latest unity initiative following frequent failures.

Since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, Hamas has fought three wars with Israel. The Strip is under blockade and suffers from severe water and electricity shortages, an economic slump and unemployment of more than 40 percent.

The coming days will answer many questions whether Hamas and Fatah are really prepared to share power in Palestine.