Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah vow to continue talks

In a symbolic meeting held in Syria between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, the two vowed on Saturday to continue reconciliation talks despite their deep political divide.

Fatah’s Azzam al—Ahmad on Friday met Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal at the latter’s office in Damascus, where he lives in exile.

In Saturday’s joint statement, the two factions described the meeting as “positive” and said they would continue to hold reconciliation talks.

The meeting follows nearly three years of bloody clashes and political tension between Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, which dominates in the West Bank.

In 2007, nearly a year after Hamas won elections in Gaza, its members clashed with Fatah party loyalists in a bloody battle for power in the enclave.

Earlier this year, Egypt said it was close to getting the two factions to agree on a reconciliation plan, but said Hamas pulled out at the last minute.

Fatah party leader Mahmoud Abbas had blamed the failed talks on Iran and accused Tehran of encouraging Hamas to reject the deal.

Friday’s meeting between the two Palestinian factions comes on the heels of relaunched direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel this month.

The recent Palestinian—Israeli talks, which took place in Washington, Egypt, Jerusalem and the West Bank, were mediated by the United States and attended by both Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr. Abbas, widely recognized as the Palestinian president, has been in the position by decree since his term expired last year. Hamas, though, has rejected his continued claim to the presidency.

Noticeably absent from the Palestinian—Israeli talks was Hamas, which both rejected the negotiations and was not invited to take part.

An Israeli assassination this month of a militant Hamas member in the West Bank was condemned by the Islamist group as “the fruit of the direct negotiations.” Also in recent weeks, Palestinian security forces, largely run by members of Fatah, arrested hundreds of Hamas activists in the West Bank after Hamas’ armed wing killed four Jewish settlers there this month. The arrests further heightened existing tensions between the two Palestinian factions.