Hamas is demanding that Fatah in the West Bank release hundreds of Hamas detainees ahead of reconciliation talks later this week. According to the AP, Gaza government spokesman Taher Nunu called Sunday for the "immediate release of all political prisoners."
Fatah officials said the talks are to be held Wednesday and Thursday in Cairo.
Efforts to form a Hamas-Fatah unity government have failed in the past.
Meanwhile, five Palestinians were killed on Sunday when a tunnel used for smuggling between the Gaza Strip and Egypt collapsed on top of them, medics said. According to AFP, the victims were between the ages of 17 and 25, they said. The tunnels were thought to have collapsed after torrential downpours that hit the region over the last several days.
