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| Rival Palestinian Factions Agree to Resolve Differences, Leaders Say | Rival Palestinian Factions Agree to Resolve Differences, Leaders Say |
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| JERUSALEM — Leaders of rival Palestinian factions said Thursday that they had agreed to resolve their differences and allow the Palestinian Authority to return to the Gaza Strip so reconstruction could begin there next month. | JERUSALEM — Leaders of rival Palestinian factions said Thursday that they had agreed to resolve their differences and allow the Palestinian Authority to return to the Gaza Strip so reconstruction could begin there next month. |
| Palestinian and Egyptian state news media outlets reported that the leaders of Hamas, the Islamist movement that dominates Gaza, and Fatah, the secular faction of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, had made progress on the sticking points of their five-month-old reconciliation pact, including the payment of duplicative government workers, security forces in Gaza and control of its crossing points. | Palestinian and Egyptian state news media outlets reported that the leaders of Hamas, the Islamist movement that dominates Gaza, and Fatah, the secular faction of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, had made progress on the sticking points of their five-month-old reconciliation pact, including the payment of duplicative government workers, security forces in Gaza and control of its crossing points. |
| But they offered no specifics on any of these issues, and two officials from the Palestine Liberation Organization said Thursday’s statements lacked substance. | But they offered no specifics on any of these issues, and two officials from the Palestine Liberation Organization said Thursday’s statements lacked substance. |
| “These rhetorics I have heard so many times,” said one leader who is close to Mr. Abbas, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations openly. “They reiterated once again the same agreement that they had in the past, with all the problems in that agreement. So I don’t think there is a direct solution to the issue of the employees or the security or whatever.” | “These rhetorics I have heard so many times,” said one leader who is close to Mr. Abbas, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations openly. “They reiterated once again the same agreement that they had in the past, with all the problems in that agreement. So I don’t think there is a direct solution to the issue of the employees or the security or whatever.” |
| The announcement in Cairo came a day before Mr. Abbas is scheduled to make his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he plans to appeal for a new international approach to ending Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. | The announcement in Cairo came a day before Mr. Abbas is scheduled to make his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he plans to appeal for a new international approach to ending Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. |
| It followed Egyptian-brokered talks this week both among the feuding Palestinian factions and with Israel regarding terms for a durable truce after this summer’s bloody seven-week battle between Israel and Gaza-based militant groups led by Hamas. | It followed Egyptian-brokered talks this week both among the feuding Palestinian factions and with Israel regarding terms for a durable truce after this summer’s bloody seven-week battle between Israel and Gaza-based militant groups led by Hamas. |
| Earlier this month, the United Nations announced that it had reached an agreement with the Palestinian Authority and with Israel to facilitate the reconstruction of thousands of homes and other buildings destroyed across Gaza, though officials said details of how and when had not yet been determined. | Earlier this month, the United Nations announced that it had reached an agreement with the Palestinian Authority and with Israel to facilitate the reconstruction of thousands of homes and other buildings destroyed across Gaza, though officials said details of how and when had not yet been determined. |
| Israel, which considers Hamas a terrorist organization and does not have direct dealings with it, has insisted that the Palestinian Authority must re-establish a presence inside Gaza before it will allow for any expansion of the crossings it controls to provide for the transfer of construction materials. Egypt, the United States and other Western powers have also pushed for increased Palestinian Authority presence in Gaza throughout the discussions of a cease-fire. | Israel, which considers Hamas a terrorist organization and does not have direct dealings with it, has insisted that the Palestinian Authority must re-establish a presence inside Gaza before it will allow for any expansion of the crossings it controls to provide for the transfer of construction materials. Egypt, the United States and other Western powers have also pushed for increased Palestinian Authority presence in Gaza throughout the discussions of a cease-fire. |
| Mousa Abu Marzook, a Hamas political leader, said at a news conference in Cairo on Thursday that the sides had agreed to have the Palestinian reconciliation government that was sworn in June 2 oversee Gaza’s crossings, with Palestinian Authority employees stationed there who have been idle since Hamas took over Gaza in 2007. | |
| Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, quoted Mr. Marzook and Azzam al-Ahmad, the Fatah leader who has been coordinating talks with Hamas, both saying that the new Palestinian government would soon take control of ministries in Gaza, and that a new committee would be formed to deal with the issues of employees, security, elections and reconvening the dormant Palestinian Parliament. | Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, quoted Mr. Marzook and Azzam al-Ahmad, the Fatah leader who has been coordinating talks with Hamas, both saying that the new Palestinian government would soon take control of ministries in Gaza, and that a new committee would be formed to deal with the issues of employees, security, elections and reconvening the dormant Palestinian Parliament. |
| Thursday’s meeting “was important to end all outstanding files and draw out arrangements for activating the consensus government’s role in Gaza,” Mr. Ahmad said, according to Wafa. “It has been agreed to remove all obstacles before the government.” | Thursday’s meeting “was important to end all outstanding files and draw out arrangements for activating the consensus government’s role in Gaza,” Mr. Ahmad said, according to Wafa. “It has been agreed to remove all obstacles before the government.” |
| The semiofficial Turkish news agency Anadolu said the Palestinian prime minister, Rami Hamdallah, would soon visit Gaza. | The semiofficial Turkish news agency Anadolu said the Palestinian prime minister, Rami Hamdallah, would soon visit Gaza. |
| Al Ahram, the Egyptian state newspaper, referred to “a comprehensive agreement on the Palestinian Authority’s management of Gaza Strip affairs and crossings,” and said that “an understanding has been reached on some of the most important pending points.” | Al Ahram, the Egyptian state newspaper, referred to “a comprehensive agreement on the Palestinian Authority’s management of Gaza Strip affairs and crossings,” and said that “an understanding has been reached on some of the most important pending points.” |
| It remained unclear how the more than 40,000 public employees in Gaza hired by the Hamas government over the last seven years would be paid, or how they might be integrated with the more than 70,000 workers from the pre-2007 Palestinian Authority who have continued to receive salaries. | |
| Mr. Hamdallah has said the government lacked the funds to pay both sets of Gaza employees, and that international donors including the United States threatened to withdraw support if any money went to Hamas-affiliated workers. | Mr. Hamdallah has said the government lacked the funds to pay both sets of Gaza employees, and that international donors including the United States threatened to withdraw support if any money went to Hamas-affiliated workers. |
| Ziad Abu Amr, the deputy prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, said in an interview last week that there would “be no reconstruction in Gaza” unless the authority was “in full control” there, and that that would not happen “until we solve the problem of the Hamas employees.” | Ziad Abu Amr, the deputy prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, said in an interview last week that there would “be no reconstruction in Gaza” unless the authority was “in full control” there, and that that would not happen “until we solve the problem of the Hamas employees.” |
| Izzat el-Resheq, a Hamas official, said in a statement on Thursday that “partial salaries” would go to its Gaza employees “in the coming period” as the committee worked on a full solution. | Izzat el-Resheq, a Hamas official, said in a statement on Thursday that “partial salaries” would go to its Gaza employees “in the coming period” as the committee worked on a full solution. |
| Hamas and Fatah leaders have been exchanging harsh public criticism since the truce that halted hostilities with Israel on Aug. 26, with Mr. Abbas accusing Hamas of running a shadow government in Gaza and unnecessarily prolonging the fighting. Thursday’s announcement at least put an end to that public sparring, perhaps in hopes of presenting a united front as negotiations resume next month with Israel on terms for a lasting cease-fire. | Hamas and Fatah leaders have been exchanging harsh public criticism since the truce that halted hostilities with Israel on Aug. 26, with Mr. Abbas accusing Hamas of running a shadow government in Gaza and unnecessarily prolonging the fighting. Thursday’s announcement at least put an end to that public sparring, perhaps in hopes of presenting a united front as negotiations resume next month with Israel on terms for a lasting cease-fire. |
| “Things kind of unraveled before,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the P.L.O. executive committee who is not connected to either Fatah or Hamas. “It’s beginning to dawn on them that both sides will lose if we go on like this. They do have to take concrete steps and measures. They do have to translate these agreements into realities, because the public is fed up.” | “Things kind of unraveled before,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the P.L.O. executive committee who is not connected to either Fatah or Hamas. “It’s beginning to dawn on them that both sides will lose if we go on like this. They do have to take concrete steps and measures. They do have to translate these agreements into realities, because the public is fed up.” |
| Ms. Ashrawi said she would not call Thursday’s development “a dramatic breakthrough,” but also would not dismiss it as “just a matter of ‘We’ll say this,’” adding, “I think we will begin to see some steps.” | Ms. Ashrawi said she would not call Thursday’s development “a dramatic breakthrough,” but also would not dismiss it as “just a matter of ‘We’ll say this,’” adding, “I think we will begin to see some steps.” |