Middle East

Hamas, Fatah Announce Deal to Form Palestinian Unity Government

18/01/2017

By Jack Khoury

Hamas and Fatah have agreed to establish a Palestinian unity government, the two factions said in a statement from Moscow, where they were holding unity talks since Sunday.

According to the deal reached in Moscow, the Palestinian factions – including the Islamic Jihad – will join the PLO institutions and form a new Palestinian National Council. The new council will select the PLO Executive Committee, the top political and diplomatic Palestinian body.

The Palestinian factions agreed that over the next two months new members will be elected to the National Council and the sides will try to form a new government.