FILE- Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas political leader
CAIRO – 8 August 2018: Hamas announced approving a five-year ceasefire with Israel’s authority, according to Palestinian media outlets on Wednesday.
The newly approved five-year truce includes easing the siege on the Gaza Strip and making a prisoner exchange deal. Hamas is expected to inform the Egyptian authorities along with the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, about the new truce details during the coming period.
Both the Palestinian and Israeli sides agreed on conducting the truce in exchange for opening all the border crossings, including Rafah, to allow goods transfer as well as the usual individuals' movement.
The outlets added that the fishing area is also expected to expand to 12 miles during the coming two years as per the agreement.
Saleh al-Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, is set to arrive in Cairo later on Wednesday to inform the Egyptian government with the latest updates and the full details of the agreement with Israel.
Earlier in August, Hamas members conducted internal consultations where a delegation of the movement members abroad also arrived in Gaza on August 2, according to Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum. Discussions related to the reconciliation with Fatah and other important political issues were held.
CAIRO - 2 August 2018: A delegation of Hamas members abroad are expected to arrive in Gaza, on Thursday to discuss with the rest of the movement members the recent escalations regarding the reconciliation along with other important political issues; Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said in statements to Palestinian media outlets.
“Our people’s fight against the Israeli occupation is ongoing. We still need to exert more effort to achieve our goals,” Barhoum stated.
On July 29, a high-level Fatah delegation arrived in Cairo to discuss the Palestinian reconciliation with Egyptian officials. Munir al-Jaghoub, head of Fatah's Information Department in the Office of Mobilization and Organization, said that the delegation included Head of Palestinian General Intelligence Service Majid Faraj and members of Fatah Central Committee Azzam al-Ahmad, Husein al-Sheikh and Rawhi Fattouh.
Jaghoub remarked that the delegation headed to Cairo upon the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss ways to deliver the perception of the Palestinian leadership, the current situation in Palestine and the file of reconciliation.
Earlier this month, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Mladenov spoke to Egypt Today in an exclusive interview about the reconciliation between Palestinian rival factions, Egypt’s role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the two-state solution and the “deal of the century”.
Mladenov affirmed in his statements that Cairo government has always been, and still is, a vital and key player in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, adding that Rafah Border Crossing, which Egypt opens regularly to ease people’s suffering in Gaza, is considered to be a “lifeline” for Palestinians.
He added that the United Nations is doing its best to back Egypt’s efforts to reach complete reconciliation among Palestinian factions. He affirmed that Egypt has done a lot already to reach stability and decrease violence.
Egypt has been backing the Palestinian reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas for almost a year. The reconciliation efforts under Egypt’s auspices officially began in October, when Egypt succeeded to hold a historic meeting between leaders of Fatah and Hamas, turning over the 10-year-old dispute into consensus, as the two parties reactivated the Cairo Agreement signed in 2011.
Cairo - 12 October 2017: A reconciliation deal reached Thursday between both Palestinian rival parties in Cairo has been praised by all Palestinian factions as a breakthrough to the decade-long division. Egypt's, which was hosting a series of reconciliation meetings, was praised after an announcement Thursday the two parties reached a deal, under which the Palestinian Concession Government will assume administration affairs of Rafah Border by Dec.1.
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