GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – The militant Palestinian Hamas group and its rival Fatah movement on Thursday reached a partial agreement on governing the Gaza Strip, signaling a major step forward in reducing their deep-seated enmity.
Meanwhile, a senior Palestinian official said President Mahmoud Abbas’ government, which runs the West Bank, will press forward with a United Nations bid to set a deadline for Israel to end its occupation of lands captured in the 1967 war, after efforts to enlist American support for the effort ran aground.
“Work with the Americans about the possibility of joint action in the Security Council has reached an impasse,” said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, adding that he expects the Palestinian delegation in New York to propose a U.N. resolution on the issue within three weeks.
The purpose of the resolution is to set the groundwork for the formal establishment of a Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, after days of discussions with Fatah leaders in Cairo, Hamas’ deputy leader Mussa Abu Marzouk seemed upbeat in describing the new Gaza deal.