GAZA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Hamas and Fatah achieved notable progress on the issue of reforming security services during their reconciliation talks in Cairo but still divided on other issues, Palestinian officials said Wednesday.
The Palestinian conferees in Cairo dialogue, who represent all the factions, work under five committees to settle the five controversial issues: forming a unity government, reforming the security services, reforming the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), holding elections and achieving the reconciliation.
Jameel Yousef, representative of Islamic Jihad movement in the security committee, said the committee "has almost reached an agreement and, most probably will finalize it today."
According to the agreement, different security services in the Gaza Strip and West Bank will recombine in three main agencies, namely the interior service which includes the police and the civil defense, the external service which includes the intelligence, and the national security service which comprises the presidential guard forces, border guards and the crossing guards.
"The members of the committee agreed that the tasks of security services will be fighting the corruption, crimes and protecting the weapons of resistance," Yousef said.
Most of the talks of the security committee focused on two points: "prohibiting the politically-motivated arrests and the security liaison with the Israeli occupation," he added.
The ultimate goal of the dialogue is to form a unity government replacing Hamas' administration of Gaza Strip and Salam Fayyad's government which President Mahmoud Abbas formed in the West Bank.
Sources close to Hamas and Fatah said the two sides did not put forward any mechanism to settle the issues of forming a unity government and reforming the PLO.
According to a Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, the Islamic movement "holds a vision for these two issues," but he would not reveal his movement's proposal.
On the other hand, Fatah stressed that any upcoming government must recognize the deals signed between the PLO and Israel and must accept the international demands of recognizing Israel and renouncing violence. Hamas has reiterated that it cannot recognize Israel and the peace deals.
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