Egypt invited a number of foreign officials from the Arab world and other countries to Cairo on Wednesday for the announcement of the anticipated Palestinian reconciliation agreement, according to a senior Egyptian official.
The officials invited include the foreign ministers of China, Russia, Turkey and European countries, as well as Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Organisation of the Islamic Conference Secretary General Kamal al-Din Ihsanoglu and EU foreign minister Catherine Ashton.
The event will be attended by Fatah leader and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, along the leaders of Palestinian factions and independent figures.
Top-level representatives from Palestinian factions, including Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal, continue to arrive to Cairo for the event, the official said.
Fatah, Hamas and 11 other factions have reportedly signed the document prior to Wednesday's anticipated declaration. Discussions about the formation of a new Palestinian government are expected to follow the event.
An Egypt-led committee is also planning a trip to the Palestinian territories to observe enforcement of the agreement and to eliminate any obstacles, espcially those concerning the integration of security apparatuses in Gaza and West Bank.
Israel and the US had voiced reservations about the anticipated agreement. Both formally consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
Earlier, Tel Aviv had warned Abbas that he must choose between peace with Israel and reconciling with Hamas.
