Under the agreement, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority is to resume full control of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip by 1 December, according to a statement from Egypts intelligence agency. According to reports the agreement would also see Palestinian Authority forces take control of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
In exchange, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and the PA are expected to lift crippling restrictions on electricity supply to Gaza that have made the lives of its 2 million residents miserable in recent months.
While significant on paper at least, the deal is similar to previous attempts at reconciliation between the two sides and which were unveiled with fanfares and public declarations of unity, only to quickly run into the sand.
Despite the reported agreement on the Rafah crossing, it is unlikely to make much difference in practical terms for goods entering Gaza from Egypt, while truck traffic to the northern Sinai remains restricted by the Egyptian military because of the ongoing security crisis there.