Hamas, Fatah to Sign Unity Agreement in Cairo Wednesday

Local Editor

The official signing ceremony for the reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah will take place in Cairo Wednesday. Senior figures from both Palestinian organizations will participate led by Palestinian Authority head Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) for Fatah and Hamas prime minister in Gaza Ismail Haniya.

Thirteen representatives of various Palestinian factions headed by Fatah and Hamas signed a draft of the reconciliation agreement between the two organizations yesterday afternoon in Cairo. The agreement calls for elections to be held within a year in the West Bank and Gaza.

A senior Egyptian official stated Tuesday that an official ceremony will be held on Wednesday, and added that Cairo sent official invitations to Arab Foreign Ministers, and ministers from Russia, China, Turkey and a number of European countries.

Cairo wants to make sure a positive atmosphere prevails during the ceremony, while Egyptian and Palestinian officials are concluding final touches to the preparations in order to ensure a lasting deal that will put an end to years of internal and bloody conflict between Fatah and Hamas movements in the occupied territories.

Following the official ceremony on Wednesday, Palestinian factions will start consultations to form the new interim government that would operate until new general and presidential elections are held.

"Israel" and the United States opposed the deal and threatened to boycott the new Palestinian government as it includes the Hamas movement, dubbed as a terrorist group by the two countries.