CAIRO, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Delegations from the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) held a new round of talks in Cairo on Monday to discuss the future management of the war-torn Gaza Strip, a senior Fatah official told Xinhua.
The negotiations, held under Egyptian sponsorship, are proceeding smoothly amid a positive atmosphere, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added.
The ongoing talks are a continuation of previous discussions between the two movements in the Egyptian capital. In October, Fatah and Hamas agreed in Cairo to form a temporary, non-political committee to oversee services in the Gaza Strip, including managing the Rafah border crossing.
Fatah and Hamas have been at odds since 2007, when Hamas took control of Gaza, while Fatah remained dominant in the West Bank. The two factions agreed to end their long-standing rivalry following talks in China in July.
Israel has stated that one of the goals of its ongoing military operations in Gaza, launched in response to a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, is to end Hamas's rule in the enclave. The Hamas attack killed around 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.
Gaza's health authorities reported on Monday that at least 44,466 people have been killed in over 13 months of Israeli attacks. ■
