Palestinian PM arrives in Gaza for ground-breaking talks

Hamdallah arrives in enclave for first time since 2015 in first significant step towards transfer of powers from Hamas to Palestinian Authority.

BEIT HANUN - Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah arrived in Gaza Monday for his first visit in two years, as rival factions seek to overcome a decade of crippling divisions, a reporter said.

Hamdallah, along with dozens of ministers and officials from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, began crossing the border into the coastal enclave around noon, ahead of meetings with leaders of rival faction Hamas.

The event is meant to be the first significant step in a transfer of powers from Islamist movement Hamas to the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since ousting the Palestinian Authority in 2007, but recently agreed to dissolve what has been seen as its rival administration and make way for a unity government.

Hamas politicians and members of the premier's Fatah faction were due to greet Hamdallah on the other side of the crossing, as some 2,000 people gathered ahead of an expected speech.

He is expected to meet Hamas overall leader Ismail Haniya and the group's Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar on Monday afternoon, and chair a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Palestinian Authority is the internationally recognised Palestinian government and supposed to steer its people to an independent Palestinian state.

Hamas, blacklisted as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States, won a landslide victory in 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections.

Multiple previous attempts at reconciliation have failed.