Hamas, Fatah reach deal on Palestinian reconciliation

GAZA CITY: Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement Thursday on ending a decade-long split following talks mediated by Egypt in Cairo, with president Mahmud Abbas calling it a "final" accord, reports AFP.

Details of the agreement have not yet been released and a press conference was being planned for Thursday afternoon in the Egyptian capital, where talks have been taking place since Tuesday.

Abbas welcomed the deal in comments to AFP and said he considered it a "final agreement to end the division" -- though many details remain to be resolved and previous reconciliation attempts have repeatedly failed.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya's office said in a statement, without giving further details, that "an agreement was reached today between Hamas and Fatah under Egyptian sponsorship."

An official from Abbas's Fatah movement said the Palestinian president was now planning to travel to the Gaza Strip within a month as part of the unity bid in what would be his first visit in a decade.

Hamas, Fatah reach deal on Palestinian reconciliation

GAZA CITY: Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement Thursday on ending a decade-long split following talks mediated by Egypt in Cairo, with president Mahmud Abbas calling it a final accord, reports AFP. Details of the agreement have not yet been released and a press conference was being planned for Thursday afternoon in the Egyptian capital, where talks have been taking place since Tuesday. Abbas welcomed the deal in comments to AFP and said he considered it a final agreement to end the division -- though many details remain to be resolved and previous reconciliation attempts have repeatedly failed. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyas office said in a statement, without giving further details, that an agreement was reached today between Hamas and Fatah under Egyptian sponsorship. An official from Abbass Fatah movement said the Palestinian president was now planning to travel to the Gaza Strip within a month as part of the unity bid in what would be his first visit in a decade.