Fatah and Hamas movements meeting agreed among a group of issues to a mutual release of political prisoners

Fatah and Hamas movements meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Sunday agreed among a group of issues to a mutual release of political prisoners, Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported.

Representatives from both sides, Fatah’s Azzam al-Ahmad and Hamas’s Mousa Abu Marzouk, met in an attempt to rekindle reconciliation talks that hit a snag in July when the two parties could not agree on the formation of a unified government.

Besides releasing political prisoners, a passport issuing committee was formed as well as a group to monitor organizations known to sow strife between the parties, according to the report.

POSITIVE AND SUCCESSFUL

After Sunday's talks in Cairo, a Fatah official said the session between the two parties was positive and important. "We are optimistic, and we finished item four in the agreement about the civil and society reconciliation," said the official.

Marzouk said that "all issues will be discussed through forming committees in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in line with follow-up committees to check the implementation of national reconciliation."

Al-Ahmad said that "the meeting today was successful because it brought life back to the agreement signed in May, and we will work to overcome difficulties and obstacles that challenge the implementation."

When answering a question about naming the prime minister, he said that "all the issues are interrelated and we will discuss other topics in details in the coming meeting."

Ezzat el-Rashaq, a member of Hamas political bureau said that "we discussed the procedures of building confidence between the two parties regarding the most important issues for the citizens, top of which is the prisoners and those banned from traveling, besides removing the impact of the division."

"Traveling is a legitimate right for every citizen unless it is deprived by a court decision," Rashaq added.

Egypt also hailed the atmosphere of talks between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo as positive.

An official statement said the two movements agreed at the end of a meeting in Cairo Sunday to resume discussions on the remaining issues in Cairo in September, according to Egyptian official MENA news agency.