Militant group Hamas has handed over control of the Gaza Strip’s border crossings to the Palestinian Authority (PA) government amid an attempt to reconcile a decade-old rift.
Wednesday’s handover is the first major step after the rival parties signed an initial reconciliation agreement almost three weeks ago permitting the Fatah-controlled PA to unite the West Bank and Gaza under one administration.
Hamas, PA and Egyptian officials gathered at the Gaza-Egypt Rafah Border Crossing for the handover of five border crossings. Large banners were strung of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, who has been a key player in the latest reconciliation agreement.
“Today is the actual and practical first step of ending an internal Palestinian division that lasted for more than 10 years,” said PA’s housing and construction minister, Mufid al-Hassayna.
Read the full Breaking News article at The Australian.