Deal Could See Hamas-Fatah Reconciliation, Return of Missing Israelis

Hamas and Fatah have achieved a breakthrough towards an agreement between the two terror groups, Hadashot News reported. According to the report, Nikolai Maldenov, the U.N.’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, along with Egypt, have successfully brokered a deal in which Hamas agreed to accept Fatah’s conditions on the Palestinian Authority-based terror group’s control of government institutions in Gaza.

According to the report, the deal entails the PA’s taking over the reins of government in Gaza. Large sums of money will be invested to revive the Gaza economy. The deal includes an overall agreement with Israel, in which Hamas will pledge to lay off terror attacks for between five and 10 years. Israel will release many of the terrorists in its prisons, while Hamas will return the remains of IDF soldiers it is holding, as well as two live Israelis.

No confirmation has been made by Hamas, Fatah or Israel of the report. The security cabinet is set to meet Sunday to discuss the situation in the south, which continues to remain serious. Over Shabbos at least seven fires were set in southern Israel by Hamas terrorists who dispatched terror balloons and kites. Firefighters rushed to the scene of several of the fires in order to prevent them from getting out of control.

On the basis of the Hadashot News report, the families of missing IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, as well as IDF soldier Avram Mengistu, all of whom are believed to be in Gaza, will hold a press conference to discuss the latest developments. The families and supporters will then march to the Prime Minister’s Office, where they will ask for the help of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s wife Sarah for assistance in gaining the release of the soldiers. The families are expected to demand that their loved ones be released already at the first stage of the agreement, if there is to be an agreement at all.