Palestinian factions agree to set up reconciliation committee during Egypt talks

Egypt hosts Palestinian reconciliation talks: Rival Palestinian factions agreed to set up a reconciliation committee to “end divisions and achieve Palestinian national unity,” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced yesterday following negotiations in El Alamein, Palestinian media reports. The talks brought together Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh for a rare face-to-face meeting, as well as other Palestinian groups, and came under Egyptian efforts to end years of intra-Palestinian conflict and form a unity administration.

One analyst isn’t optimistic: “The best way to kill something is to form a committee for it,” said Palestinian political scientist Moukaimer Abu Saada.

The talks are getting a lot of attention internationally:Associated Press | AFP | Politico | The National | Al Arabiya | Times of Israel.

ALSO- Lebanon’s central bank governor leaves office: Riad Salameh’s 30-year tenure as a governor of the Lebanese central bank has come to an end, with his legacy destroyed by the collapse of the country’s banking sector and corruption accusations, Reuters reports.