Pictured Above: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the U.N. General Assembly in September 2015. Credit: U.N. Photo/Cia Pak.

(JNS.org) The rival Palestinian factions Fatah and the Gaza-ruling terror group Hamas agreed Wednesday to delay the full implementation of a Palestinian unity deal that would see control of Gaza transferred to the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority (PA). 

The power transfer was originally scheduled to be implemented Dec. 1, but has now been delayed 10 days in order to allow the rival factions time to “complete arrangements,” according to Palestinian officials. 

In a statement, Fatah and Hamas requested that Egypt, which mediated the Palestinian unity deal, delay the power transfer “to successfully conclude reconciliation steps to which the Palestinian people aspire.”

Earlier on Wednesday, before the statement was issued, a dispute arose between the factions when Hamas prevented PA employees from returning to their positions at several government ministries.

High-ranking Egyptian Intelligence Services official Gen. Hamam Abu Zeid and other Egyptian government representatives visited Gaza this week to mediate the dispute, which could threaten to undermine the unity deal.

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