Palestinian Groups Call For End To Hamas-Fatah Rift

Palestinian factions operating in the blockaded Gaza Strip met Thursday to discuss means of resolving outstanding differences between Fatah and Hamas and implementation of an April reconciliation deal between the two rivals.



The meeting, held in Gaza City, brought together representatives from all groups operating in the Palestinian enclave.



The get-together also tackled means of ending Israel's years-long blockade of the coastal strip and expediting reconstruction efforts following Israel's recent military onslaught on Gaza.



Fatah and Hamas – the latter of which has run the Gaza Strip since 2007 – continue to accuse one another of hindering April's reconciliation deal, which was aimed at ending seven years of division between them.



The deal led to the formation of a Palestinian unity government unveiled in June.



Relations between the two groups worsened last month when the homes of several Fatah leaders in the Gaza Strip were bombed simultaneously.



Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads Fatah, blamed Hamas for the attacks.



Hamas, for its part, denied any involvement in the bombings, accusing the new Ramallah-based unity government of failing to meet the needs of the people of Gaza.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Gazze