Hamas, Fatah in unity talks, Khaled Meshaal says

Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khaled Meshaal says he is holding talks with Acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas over the formation of a Palestinian unity government.

“We are consulting about forming a government of national accord. Preparations for presidential, parliamentary and executive council elections are under way,” Meshaal said.

He made the remarks during an interview with the BBC published on Thursday.

“We are reinvigorating the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and organizing its meetings until new national council and executive committee are elected,” the Hamas chief stated.

In 2011, Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation accord to form a transitional unity government, which was supposed to pave the way for legislative elections before the end of May 2012. However, the process failed and is yet to be implemented.

On January 17, the two rival Palestinian factions agreed, in Cairo, to revive consultations over the unity deal by the end of the month.

Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since the former won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January 2006.

The Israeli regime reacted to the victory by imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Fatah, however, set up headquarters in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank.