CAIRO: Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas on Tuesday agreed on the mechanisms to implement a reconciliation agreement after talks described by both parties and their Egyptian mediators as "positive."
"Fatah and Hamas held intense talks in Cairo over two days sponsored by Egypt, to define the mechanisms of implementation of a Palestinian reconciliation deal," signed earlier this month, said an Egyptian statement carried by the official MENA news agency.
"The meetings took place in a positive atmosphere, amid cooperation and understanding from both sides which reflects their desire to end their division as soon as possible," the statement said.
President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction began talks with rival Hamas on Monday aimed at hammering out a unity government as agreed under the deal.
"The talks were very positive. We have put the train on the tracks … and are moving forward in a comfortable way," Azzam Al-Ahmad, who heads the Fatah delegation, told reporters after the talks on Monday.
Asked whether a new prime minister had been chosen, Al-Ahmad said it was "premature" to discuss names.
For his part, Izzat Al-Rishiq of Hamas told reporters, "The talks were conducted in the same positive spirit which launched this reconciliation."
He said both parties had agreed not to disclose the details of the meeting, saying only that the announcement of the government would be "soon."
Fatah and Hamas, which rule the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip respectively, signed the reconciliation agreement in the Egyptian capital earlier this month.
The accord, inked by them and 11 other factions, aims to put a stop to the animosity which has split the Palestinian territories into two camps since 2007 and to pave the way for elections within a year.
