GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A meeting of the PLO began Thursday in Cairo which President Mahmoud Abbas and other representatives of independent and political factions attended.

President Abbas and Khalid Mashaal attended the talks which began at 6 p.m. They are holding more talks on the implementation of a unity deal to form a Palestinian government and hold elections.

“We started in the right direction and we will continue towards implementing the reconciliation accord,” Abbas said after meeting with Mashaal, an official who attended said.