In early Jan. 2013, President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt invited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshal to Cairo. First, Morsi met with each one individually. The objective was to work toward a reconciliation of the two factions, Fatah and Hamas, but according to officials, there was little progress.

After meeting with Morsi, Abbas released a statement, We discussed the Palestinian conditions and the means to achieve reconciliation through implementing the agreed-upon steps according to the Doha and Cairo agreements. The Doha and Cairo agreements were pacts signed in 2012 by Fatah and Hamas. Abbas did not comment or release a statement after meeting with Meshal, another sign that there was little, if any, progress.

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad resigned in April 2013 amid infighting among the top echelon of the Palestinian Authority and popular discontent. Fayyad is credited with cracking down on corruption in the West Bank, improving infrastructure, and boosting the economy, which resulted in an increase in international aid. However, after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas requested a bid for statehood at the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. stopped funding the Palestinian Authority and the economy soured. It was unclear how Fayyads resignation would affect the reconciliation of Fatah and Hamas.