Hamas, Fatah hold talks on post-war arrangements in Gaza

CAIRO - Delegations from Hamas and Fatah are currently meeting in Cairo to discuss arrangements for the post-war phase in the Gaza Strip, Egyptian TV channel Al-Qahera News reported Thursday.

Hamas' delegation is led by senior leader and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, while Fatah's delegation is headed by Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh and Palestinian intelligence chief Majed Faraj, according to the report.

It added that Cairo is also hosting talks among Palestinian factions on the second phase of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, noting that Egypt is preparing to host a conference on Gaza's reconstruction in the second half of November.

Meanwhile, Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad met in Cairo with Secretary-General of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Fahd Suleiman, as part of Egypt's efforts to achieve Palestinian national consensus on the implementation of Trump's plan, according to the Egyptian broadcaster.

Earlier in the day, Rashad held talks with the Palestinian vice president and intelligence chief over the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, while reaffirming rejection of the Israeli Knesset's recent approval of a bill regarding annexation of the occupied West Bank.

After two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas, a long-awaited ceasefire came into force on Oct 10, following mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye.

Despite the ceasefire, at least 89 people have been killed and 317 others wounded in Gaza since Oct 11, Gaza's health authorities said in an update on Thursday, adding that Israel's military campaign has killed 68,280 Palestinians and injured 170,375 others since Oct 7, 2023.