Egyptian Delegation in Gaza Attempts to Save Reconciliation Between Fatah, Hamas

TEL AVIV — An Egyptian intelligence security delegation arrived in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Sunday in an effort to save the reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas as talks have reached a dead end between the two parties.

Talal Abu Zarifeh, a politburo member with the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine who participated in the multi-lateral talks between the Palestinian organizations in support of the reconciliation talks, told Breitbart Jerusalem that the Egyptian delegation intends to establish a mechanism through which the reconciliation could be realized and not to start new talks.

According to Zarifeh, members of the delegation will meet with Fatah and Hamas representatives, “but also with representatives of the Palestinian factions and representatives of the Palestinian Authority government in order to form a roadmap for the transfer of authority to the PA government so it can fulfill its role in the Gaza Strip.”

All the Palestinian factions support Egypt’s steps to complete the reconciliation agreements reached last October in Cairo between Hamas and Fatah, said Zarifeh.

“And we among the factions are preparing a series of steps meant to support Egypt’s efforts and increase the pressure on Fatah and Hamas to finally reach agreements that will allow the Strip and its residents to get out of the crises they are experiencing,” he stated.

Even as the Egyptian intelligence delegation arrived in the Gaza Strip, so too did a delegation from the Palestinian Authority, in order to take charge of government ministries being run by their counterparts from the “Executive Committee,” the name given to the shadow government maintained by Hamas in Gaza.

“The goal of the government delegation, among other things, is to allow the transfer of authority to the hands of the government so that it can begin fulfilling its position and provide employment to 20,000 civil servants in the Strip,” said PA spokesman Yussef al-Mahmoud.

The 20,000 civil servants mentioned by al-Mahmoud have been employed by Hamas and are now meant to be integrated into the PA government at the conclusion of reconciliation talks.

Al-Mahmoud also said that the delegation from the West Bank will hold talks regarding the transfer of authority of security matters, the future of government employees and the indemnification system in Gaza.