MID-EAST
Hamas says reached deal with Palestinian rival Fatah
By Mike Tyler
October 12, 2017 - After a decade-long rift, the Palestinian group Hamas says it has reached an agreement with rival group Fatah in Egyptian-brokered talks about the terms of control of the Gaza Strip.
The Western-backed mainstream Fatah party lost control of Gaza to Hamas, considered a terrorist group by the West and Israel, in fighting in 2007. But last month Hamas agreed to cede powers in Gaza to President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah-backed government.