Hamas terrorists in Gaza
Hamas terrorists in GazaAbed Rahim Khatib/Flash 90

Salah Bardawil, a member of Hamas’s political bureau and one of the senior leaders of the group, said on Thursday that Hamas had made a decision to seriously promote internal Palestinian reconciliation.

In an interview with the Quds Press news agency, Bardawil stressed that the weapons of the Palestinian factions were not being discussed in talks between Hamas and Fatah.

"Neither the Fatah movement nor the [Palestinian Authority] government of Rami Hamdallah have ever raised the issue of the weapons of the resistance organizations and I do not think they will raise it. The weapons of the resistance organizations are not at all the subject of the disagreement between us,” he added.

As for the question of whether the decision on war or peace with Israel rests only with the resistance organizations, Bardawil said that "in all the issues it is possible to reach a comprehensive understanding, including the question of peace and war. We are partners in blood, how will we not be partners in decision-making? We have a pressing need to reach a partnership in every sense of the word."

The comments come amid a fresh push to end a decade-long split between Fatah and Hamas.

Hamas announced last week it was willing to hold talks with Fatah, which is headed by Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, as well as to dismantle the Gaza administrative committee, which served as a local independent governing authority.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh later reiterated the group’s readiness for reconciliation with Fatah.

Rami Hamdallah, the head of the PA Ramallah-based government, announced this week he will travel to Gaza on October 2 as part of the renewed reconciliation efforts.