Palestinians speed up Gaza handover talks amid anger at U.S., Israel
Palestinian factions stepped up efforts on Thursday to finalize a Hamas handover of the Gaza Strip to President Mahmoud Abbas as protests broke out in the enclave against the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Under Egyptian mediation, the factions have sought to end a schism dating back to 2007, when Islamist Hamas seized Gaza in a civil war with Abbas's Fatah. A December 1 deadline for giving Gaza to Abbas was postponed to December 10 amid disputes.
Worried that the recrimination could disrupt the reconciliation efforts, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah and other Fatah delegates arrived in Gaza on Thursday to meet Hamas.
"This historical stage requires that we all unite and speed up the steps of uniting the homeland," Al-Hamdallah told reporters.
