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July 31, 2023

Palestinian Rivals Fatah and Hamas Form "Reconciliation Committee"
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The head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and the leader of
Hamas have formed a reconciliation committee aimed at uniting rival
Palestinian political movements. Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh met for rare
in-person talks in Egypt Sunday along with the heads of other
Palestinian groups. Hamas, which runs a parallel government in the
besieged Gaza Strip, has called on the Palestinian Authority to end its
security collaboration with Israel and cease the detention of political
prisoners. The group has also called for the formation of an inclusive
Palestinian parliament through democratic elections. Friction between
Hamas and Fatah, the dominant party in the Palestinian Authority, has
persisted since 2007 after violence erupted between the two groups over
control of Palestinian territories.


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