Meshaal in Cairo for reconciliation talks

Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal on Thursday arrived in Cairo, heading a high-level Hamas delegation on a mutli-day visit to Egypt. During the visit, Meshaal takes part in the meeting of the Palestinian interim leadership framework, to be held on Friday under the chairmanship of President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently in Egypt to participate in the Islamic summit. The interim framework includes members of the PLO executive committee, Hamas politburo chief, Islamic Jihad chief Ramadan Shallah, Palestinian National Council Chairman Salim Zanoun along with a number of independent personalities. It focuses on discussing means of concluding the national reconciliation, forming a government and the date of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Ahmad Bahr, first deputy president of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said the next few days will be decisive in relation to the national reconciliation. Speaking to the press, he expressed hope that a consensus-based government would be formed in the coming few weeks.