Fatah and Hamas agree on a new round of dialogue in Cairo

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The Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee, Jibril Rajoub, announced the agreement to hold a new round of Palestinian dialogue in Cairo in the coming days, after what he described as positive meetings with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements, without yet reaching an understanding regarding a unified national strategy.

Rajoub said that the meetings hosted in the Egyptian capital were characterized by cooperation, and contributed to creating the atmosphere for continued discussion between the Palestinian factions, after years of disagreements that hindered reconciliation efforts.

He confirmed the existence of a real Egyptian will to foster Palestinian dialogue and bring viewpoints closer between the parties, noting that the recent meetings helped to melt the ice and open the way for a new round of consultations.

Despite the positive atmosphere, Rajoub stressed that talk about reaching a unified Palestinian national strategy is still premature.

He explained that the meetings did not reach an agreement on the features of this strategy, and that the parties will continue to discuss the issues raised during the next round.

These statements come in light of the continuing Palestinian division between Fatah and Hamas, whose roots go back to 2007, when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah, continued to administer areas of the West Bank.

Since then, Cairo has witnessed multiple rounds of dialogue between the factions, which resulted in understandings and reconciliation agreements, but the implementation of most of its provisions faced political, security, and administrative obstacles.

For years, Egypt has played a major role in sponsoring Palestinian reconciliation talks, in addition to mediation efforts related to the Gaza Strip.

The current round gains importance in light of the transformations that the Palestinian issue has witnessed since the outbreak of the Gaza War in October 2023, and the ensuing discussions regarding the future of the administration of the Strip, reconstruction, and security and governance arrangements.

The issue of unifying Palestinian institutions, and determining the reference for political and security decisions, remains one of the most prominent files that have faced attempts to end the division over the past years.

Any progress in the dialogue is also linked to the possibility of agreeing on a joint political program and practical mechanisms for its implementation, and these are issues on which Rajoub did not announce reaching final understandings in recent meetings.

The Fatah official did not specify an exact date for the next round, only indicating that it would be held in the coming days.