GAZA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Islamic Jihad Movement (PIJ) on Saturday stressed the need to compel Israel to halt its "aggression" and fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
In a press statement, Hamas said a delegation headed by Zaher Jabarin, the movement's leader in the West Bank, met with a PIJ delegation led by Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhalah in Cairo, the Egyptian capital.
According to the statement, the two sides emphasized the importance of strengthening joint action, adopting unified national positions, and making every effort to protect the Palestinian people and restore what they described as their legitimate rights.
The statement said Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas' political bureau, and al-Nakhalah held a phone call during the meeting, stressing the need to support the Palestinian people and end Israel's ongoing "aggression."
The meeting came a day after the PIJ issued a brief statement saying that "everything announced regarding an agreement between the Palestinian factions and the occupation is inaccurate," adding that it had reservations about the agreement in its current circulated form.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the so-called "Board of Peace" had reached an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
On Friday, Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim said that Hamas agreed to the "latest version of the roadmap" for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement after "fierce" negotiations.
In a Saturday statement, the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization welcomed the announcement of the agreement, stressing the importance of fully implementing the second phase to ensure a permanent end to the war, alleviate the humanitarian suffering of Gaza's residents, and secure the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave. ■
