Representatives of the Palestinian Arab organizations began talks on national reconciliation in Moscow on Wednesday, under the auspices of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Jihad Taha, a spokesman for Hamas, denied the reports that the possibility of establishing a Palestinian government of technocrats was discussed in the reconciliation talks, stressing that the top priority now is “the cessation of Israeli aggression” against the Palestinian Arab people.

In a conversation with the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper, Taha said that it is too early for any discussion on the question of establishing a government of technocrats, and that efforts are now being directed to achieving an agreement on a ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip.

“The connection and coordination between the Palestinian organizations continues, but the issue of establishing a government has not come up for discussion at the current time,” Taha said.

The newspaper quoted another source in Hamas as saying that Hamas has made it clear in principle that it is not opposed to the establishment of a national unity government, provided that it is inclusive on the basis of a defined ideological platform and that its functioning can be examined in the future.

Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since 2007, when Hamas violently took control of Gaza in a bloody coup.

A unity government between Hamas and Fatah collapsed in 2015 when PA chairman Abbas decided to dissolve it amid a deepening rift between the sides.

The two sides signed a reconciliation agreement in October of 2017, as part of which Hamas was to transfer power in Gaza by December 1 of that year.

That deadline was initially put back by 10 days and later reportedly hit “obstacles”. It has never been implemented.

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