BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The leaderships of Hamas and Fatah will meet in Cairo next week to revive their stalled reconciliation agreement, the deputy head of Hamas' politburo said Friday.
Moussa Abu Marzouq told the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat that the meeting would focus on the long-awaited unity government which the parties had pledged to form to prepare for elections.
Since 2007, Hamas and Fatah have led separate governments in Gaza and the West Bank. On Wednesday, President and Fatah leader swore in a new cabinet to his West Bank government, prompting condemnation from Gaza's Hamas rulers who said the president should instead have focused on a forming a unity government.
Hamas and Fatah party leaders meeting in Doha in February decided to form a unity government headed by the president, in order to implement the reconciliation deal between their factions signed last year in Cairo.
The position of Abbas in the proposed joint cabinet caused uproar in Hamas ranks. The deal was later shelved, with both factions blaming the other for the impasse.
Abbas is due to visit Cairo on Friday for talks with Egypt's intelligence chief Murad Muwafi and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi, the Palestinian ambassador to Egypt Barakat al-Farra said.
Al-Farra told Ma'an the president would update the Egyptian leadership on developments in the peace process with Israel and reconciliation with Hamas.
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