Hamas and Fatah officials held a meeting in the West Bank to prepare a future meeting in Cairo

Hamas and Fatah officials held a meeting in the West Bank to discuss Palestinian reconciliation efforts recently and prepare a future meeting to be held between the two sides in Cairo, the Ma'an news agency reported on Wednesday.

Fatah leaders signed a reconciliation deal with their Hamas counterparts in May, but the agreement has stalled in a dispute over who will lead a unity government they agreed to form ahead of a new parliamentary election.

The meeting, which took place at the home of Nasser al-Shaer, a former deputy to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, was described as an introductory step to prepare a future meeting to be held between the two sides in Cairo, tentatively scheduled for early October.

According to the report, the issues of political detainees held in Gaza and the West Bank, and trust-building measures between the sides were discussed at the meeting.

Hamas leaders have recently voiced harsh criticisms of the Palestinian Authority for PA President Mahmoud Abbas's submittal of a request for a Palestinian state at the United Nations.