GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Gaza's interior ministry released 26 prisoners on Thursday, including 6 detainees affiliated with Fatah, an official said.

Kamal Abu Madi, an official from the ministry, said in a press conference that the release of Fatah prisoners was a gesture to create a positive environment for national reconciliation.

Six Fatah members imprisoned for criminal and security offenses were released, he added.

Most senior Fatah officials departed Gaza in the aftermath of a brief civil war in 2007 when Hamas took control of Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank.

Years of talks have produced little and two reconciliation deals have yet to be implemented.