The two-day talks between Fatah and Hamas will focus on issues related to upcoming legislative and primary elections.
Palestinian groups have begun a national dialogue in Egypt’s capital, Cairo, on Monday to prepare for upcoming elections.
“National talks are taking place in Cairo under the auspices of (Egyptian) President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,” Egypt’s state television reported.
On the agenda are difficult issues such as legal and security arrangements for the vote and what happened to Palestinian voters in East Jerusalem with Israel.
“The two-day talks will focus on issues related to the elections, including ways to keep the elections without intervention,” Hamas commented on Hazem Qassem to Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu.
“We will also talk about the neutralization of people and parties that will affect the will of the Palestinian voters and the necessary steps to allow freedom in the West Bank and Gaza,” Qassem said.
The Hamas statement said that its move has “options and alternatives to address all obstacles to the execution of this file”.
Palestinians plan to hold legislative elections on May 22 and primary elections on July 31, for the first time in 15 years.
Jibril Rajoub, head of Fatah’s delegation, told AFP news agency: “We are confident that we will overcome any obstacles in proceeding with slate legislative elections for May 22.”
Fourteen Palestinian political groups are taking part in the Egypt-sponsored sessions, in an effort to reduce their regional position.
The talks come on the same day as the Arab League emergency meeting, which was also held in Cairo, to discuss the Palestinian cause.
The two main political facts have been against the 2006 elections, which Hamas won in an unexpected landslide. The impact was not recognized by Fatah, leading to bloody conflict the following year and a split in Palestinian rule.
Fatah has been running the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank with Israel and Hamas has held power in the Gaza Strip since 2007, the year Israel destructively blocked the Mediterranean orbit.
In September, however, the two groups agreed during their talks in Turkey to hold parliamentary and primary elections.