Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process

The United States said Friday that progress had been made at the latest round of Gaza truce talks, after the presence of Israeli troops on the Egyptian border emerged as a major sticking point.

The White House said CIA chief William Burns was among U.S. officials taking part in the discussions in Cairo, joining the heads of Israel's spy agency and security service.

Hamas has announced the signing of an agreement with various Palestinian organizations, including its rival Fatah, to pursue "national unity." The deal, which was signed in Beijing, has been described by China as a framework for joint governance of Gaza following the conclusion of the ongoing conflict.

The White House is still awaiting a response from Hamas regarding the proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned that Washington is looking for a decision from Hamas through Qatar, a key mediator in the peace efforts.

President Xi Jinping welcomed Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Beijing on Wednesday, as the Chinese capital hosts a number of Arab dignitaries for a forum it hopes will deepen ties with the region.

Several Arab leaders are this week visiting Beijing, which is seeking to present a "common voice" on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and improve cooperation.

The news also demonstrates how critical it is for Israel to continue its war against Hamas and eliminate it entirely

President Mahmoud Abbas and his Bulgarian guest, President Rumen Radev, called on Thursday for enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation in all fields, particularly education.

Radev arrived in Ramallah on Thursday on an official one day visit, his first to Palestine since taking office in 2017, during which he held talks with President Abbas.

Palestinian factions, including rival groups Hamas and Fatah, have agreed to hold a general election by the end of 2018, a joint statement by several groups said on Nov. 22 following talks in Cairo.

Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement on Thursday (12 October) on ending a decade-long split following talks mediated by Egypt in Cairo, with president Mahmud Abbas calling it a “final” accord.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the deal, saying it would make peace with his country “much harder to achieve”.

Palestinian radical group Hamas announced it has reached an agreement with Fatah, , ending a 10-year break between the two formations, the BBC reported.

Hamas, which controls the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, specified that the details of the deal will be published later today. Fatah did not comment.

Egypt is the mediator of the Cairo peace talks.

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah is poised to visit Gaza for talks, a senior official said yesterday,
after Hamas agreed steps towards resolving a decade-long split with its West Bank-based rival Fatah.