Palestinian Hamas, Fatah leaders hold unity talks in Egypt

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khaled Meshaal and acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas held a meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Wednesday, the Associate Press reported.Earlier in the day, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi also held separate talks with the two leaders.On January 4, Abbas called on the rival factions to end their five-year-long dispute and unite.He made the remarks in a televised speech from his headquarters in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank as his supporters were staging a massive rally organized by the Fatah movement in the besieged Gaza Strip.In 2011, Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation accord in order to form a transitional unity government, which was supposed to pave the way for legislative elections before the end of May 2012.However, the process failed, and is yet to be implemented.Hamas, who seized control of the coastal enclave from Fatah in 2007, authorized Fatah to stage the rally to mark its 48th anniversary. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians gathered in Gaza City’s Saraya Square to voice their support for unity among Palestinians. /129