25th anniversary of Hamas next time at Haifa. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced Sunday, 9 December 2012, that he planned to head to Cairo soon to resume reconciliation talks with Hamas but did not condemn the statements by Hamas. “Reconciliation [with Hamas] is dear to us and the unity of our people,” Abbas told the Arab League in Doha, Qatar. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal agreed. He told an audience at Gaza’s Islamic University that “responsibility for Palestine is bigger than one faction alone... Hamas cannot do without Fatah and Fatah cannot do without Hamas.” The two Palestinian groups have been rivals since Hamas
Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process On 8 February 2007, Fatah and Hamas sign the Fatah–Hamas Mecca Agreement, agreeing to stop the military clashes in the Gaza Strip and the formation of a national unity government. On 23 March 2008, Hamas and Fatah sign the Sana'a Declaration that called for a return of the Gaza Strip to the pre-June 2007 situation. Disagreement about the interpretation immediately appeared. Fatah said that Hamas should relinquish its hold on Gaza first, while Hamas demanded the reinstatement of the Hamas-led unity government. On 8 November 2008, reconciliation talks due to be held in Cairo called off after Hamas announced a