PA holds weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah and Gaza via video-conference
The PA government has only held its weekly cabinet meeting in Gaza a handful of times since Hamas ousted it in 2007 from the Gaza Strip.
By ADAM RASGONUpdated: MARCH 1, 2018 04:35PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah speaks during a mass wedding ceremony for 27 couples in Jenin last year.(photo credit: ABED OMAR QUSINI/REUTERS)
The Palestinian Authority government held its weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah and Gaza City by way of a video-conference.PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and some 10 ministers participated in the meeting from Ramallah on Tuesday, while six ministers including two Gaza-based ministers, took part from Gaza City.The PA government has only held its weekly cabinet meeting in Gaza a handful of times since Hamas ousted it from the territory in 2007.This week’s cabinet meeting took place at the same time that Samih Nabil, a top official in the Egyptian Intelligence Services, is visiting the Strip.Nabil has spent the last several days in Gaza to “follow up” on reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah, the official PA news site Wafa reported.In mid-October, Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement in Cairo to advance reconciliation efforts and restore the PA’s governing authority in Gaza, but they have failed to implement the deal.One of the main obstacles between the rival parties is security control. PA President Mahmoud Abbas has said he would only accept a scenario in which the PA controls all weapons in the Strip.Meanwhile, Hamas officials have said they would not agree to forcing armed groups in Gaza to give up their weapons.Over the past three days, Nabil has discussed reconciliation efforts with a number of the PA ministers in the Strip as well as with Hamas chief in Gaza Yahya Sinwar.
