Delegations from various Palestinian factions visit Cairo this week to discuss Israel-Palestine relations and the reconciliation of factions, in response to an invitation from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The visits follow Sisi's comments of last Tuesday pushing for peace and unity in the region, and his offer to mediate in Israel-Palestine peace talks.
Sources from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad delegation, currently in Cairo, said that they have discussed with Egyptian officials the reconciliation of Palestine's divided political factions and reconciliation with Israel. The delegation called on Egypt to create a "suitable atmosphere" for talks on the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, scheduled for June.
The sources denied reports that Egypt put forward new initiatives for reconciliation, saying it was the previous agreements on reconciliation that were discussed between Egypt and the Islamic Jihad delegation. These are the same agreements that will be tackled with other delegations during their respective visits, the sources said.
Later this week, a Fatah delegation is due to arrive in Cairo. The delegation will be headed by Azzam al-Ahmad, leader of the Fatah Executive Committee and the figure responsible for the matter of inter-faction reconciliation.
A leading figure within the group said Ahmad’s visit to Egypt comes ahead of plans to resume the dialogue between the two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, in Cairo this June. Communications were made between Ahmad and the Egyptian intelligence a few days ago to set the wheels of discussion in motion before next month's meetings.
Ziad Garghoun, a member of the politburo of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, welcomed the invitation to visit Cairo, saying that the move highlights Egypt’s pivotal role in the Palestinian case, especially regarding the reconciliation issue.
Egypt’s applied efforts for reconciliation in the past resulted in the signing of an agreement in Cairo in May 2011.
