Members of Palestinian groups, including terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, met with representatives from President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt's representatives at the meeting included members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists.
The Palestinians and Egyptians discussed the implementation of an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation pact reached on May 4, 2011.
The leaders of the Palestinian groups held talks regarding the implementation of the pact, elections, and social reconciliation, according to a Hamas spokesperson, Ismail Radwan.
"The atmosphere was positive and fruitful," said Radwan, adding that the Palestinian attendees "discussed measures of building up confidence among them in order to end the current internal division."
The subject of releasing political prisoners was discussed as well as reforming the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to represent more militant groups, especially Hamas and Islamic Jihad movement.
However, the subject of forming a Palestinian transitional unity government was not on the agenda of Tuesday's meeting, according to a source in Israel.
The Islamist movements, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad, demand that new elections be held in the organization and its charter be modified so as to allow factions that do not recognize Israel to join it.
Abbas has repeatedly stated that any groups who wants to join the PLO must accept its commitments, but a Hamas official responded that his movement cannot join the PLO under the organization's current statutes including the recognition of a legitimate Jewish State.
On Wednesday, Abbas is scheduled to meet with the head of the rival Hamas movement, Khaled Mashaal, in Cairo, Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah, announced on the Voice of Palestine Radio.
The meeting is expected to herald the beginning of the national debate on reforming the PLO. But so far, the factions have only talked about confidence-building measures, such as stopping political arrests and ending media incitement.
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