Palestinian rival factions have delayed the handover of power in the Gaza Strip by at least 10 days, stoking fears Thursday that a landmark deal to end their decade-long feud may be set to fail. A series of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip in response to mortar fire at its forces meanwhile were a further sign Thursday of the difficulties facing the Palestinian reconciliation bid.
Fatah and Hamas announced the handover delay late Wednesday after sharp disagreements derailed a plan to return civil power in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority by Friday. The handover would end Islamist movement Hamas's 10-year dominance of the blockaded Palestinian enclave and had raised hopes that deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the territory could be addressed.
A range of complex issues remain to be resolved, including security control of the Gaza Strip and the fate of two separate civil administrations. Previous attempts at reconciliation between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement, based in the occupied West Bank, and his Islamist rivals from Hamas have previously failed.
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