Palestinian ministers meet in Gaza for first in a decade

(3 Oct 2017) Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah held a Cabinet meeting in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday amid an ambitious reconciliation effort with the rival Hamas militant group. Hamdallah, representing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, is being accompanied by dozens of top officials, aides and security men during his trip to the Gaza Strip. It is by far the most ambitious attempt at reconciliation since Hamas seized power of the coastal strip in 2007. But difficult negotiations lie ahead, and key sticking points - particularly who will control Hamas’ vast weapons arsenal - could easily derail the effort. Conditions in Gaza have deteriorated greatly in a decade of Hamas rule, and the feeling of hope by desperate residents is palpable Hamas ousted the Fatah-led forces of the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority in the summer of 2007, leaving the Palestinians torn between rival governments on opposite sides of Israel. Hamas has ruled Gaza, while A