Abbas praises Egypt’s mediation to reach reconciliation deal

CAIRO – 13 October 2017: Egypt's President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received on Thursday a phone call from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas who praised Egypt’s mediation efforts to conclude a reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas.

According to the Palestine News Agency (WAFA), Abbas extended his and the Palestinian people’s appreciation to President Sisi for his administration’s efforts that contributed to signing the reconciliation agreement in Cairo.

“What was agreed upon strengthens and accelerates the steps to end the division and restore the unity of the Palestinian people, land and institutions,” said Abbas.

The two main Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed an Egypt-brokered reconciliation deal in Cairo in a key step towards ending a decade-long rift between the two movements.

The deal will see administrative control of the Gaza Strip handed to a Fatah-backed unity government.