Fatah, Hamas to meet on Sunday

A senior official in Hamas, Salah Bardawil announced in a statement to Safa Agency on Saturday that Palestinian political factions Fatah and Hamas will hold a meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the implementation of the reconciliation deal. Bardawil said that the meeting will discuss key issues such as forming a new technocratic government, political prisoners, the coming elections and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). He added that the meeting will also evaluate what has been achieved on the ground since Fatah leader president Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal met a month earlier in the Egyptian capital, pointing out to the other Palestinian factions’ meeting in Cairo on December 20, and PLO members two days later would also hold a meeting. Regarding political prisoners in particular, Bardawil said: "President Abbas promised to release political detainees in the West Bank, but the promises have not been applied on the ground yet." Fatah official Amin Maqboul had previously announced that the Palestinian Authority released a lot of political prisoners, as an end to the political prisoners' file. Bardawil however said the political prisoners that were released were only ten and there were a lot more, stating that those arrested in the West Bank were far more than the release. Meanwhile, other smaller Palestinian factions held a meeting in Gaza to discuss the activation of the reconciliation. Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo, May, which provided to end the political prisoners' issue and form a new government that would prepare for elections within a year.