The Palestinian Hamas faction says it has reached a deal with its rival Fatah over its political reconciliation.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement Thursday saying the two sides had struck an agreement after two days of talks in Cairo, under what he called Egypt's "generous" sponsorship. Haniyeh said details of the agreement would be announced later in the day in the Egyptian capital.
A Fatah spokesman confirmed the announcement in an interview with the French News Agency ((Agence France Presse)).
The agreement follows last month's decision by the militant Hamas faction to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement to reassume control of Gaza. Hamas has governed the strip and its two million residents since 2007, when it fought a short civil war with Fatah. The two sides agreed to form a unity government in 2014, but Hamas has continued to oversee Gaza with its administrative body.
Israel has blockaded Gaza for a decade, and its border with Egypt has also remained largely closed in recent years, leaving Gaza's economy in shambles.