Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, will hold national unity talks in China in July in an attempt to resolve deep divisions, leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Fatah movement told Reuters on Monday.
The meeting comes after the two movements met in China last April to discuss reconciliation efforts and end political divisions that have been ongoing for about 17 years.
The meetings come amid rising tensions between the two movements over the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads the Fatah movement, has previously criticized Hamas over the war, while Hamas has accused him of siding with Israel.
The two movements have been at odds since Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections and took control of the Gaza Strip the following year. Efforts by Arab countries led by Egypt since 2007 have so far failed to end the differences.