RAMALLAH: Palestinian factions will sign a reconciliation deal in Cairo on Tuesday intended to repair ties between Hamas and Fatah and end a bitter divide between the West Bank and Gaza. The surprise deal, announced last week, comes after 18 months of failed talks and envisions the formation of an interim government of independents that will prepare the way for presidential and legislative elections within a year. It largely maintains the status quo, leaving Hamas in control of the Gaza Strip and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority ruling the West Bank. And it does not affect the mechanisms for negotiations with Israel, though peace talks have been on hold for months now and do not look likely to resume in the near future. The deal will be signed by Fatah's Azzam Al-Ahmad and Mussa Abu Marzuk, the number two in Hamas's political bureau, who hashed out the details of the agreement with help from Egyptian officials. It will also be signed by a variety of Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian People's Party. A ceremony to mark the signing is scheduled for Wednesday, and will be attended by Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal, who flew in Sunday from Damascus, and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who is due to arrive on today. Palestinian sources said former US president Jimmy Carter had also been invited.
