Palestinian factions including Fatah, Hamas and more than 20 others are meeting in Cairo on Tuesday: a meeting many observers see as a watershed for the elusive reconciliation all believe is a necessary predicate for statehood. The Palestinians have been bifurcated between the Fatah-Palestinian Authority run West Bank and Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip since the Islamist Hamas seized Gaza in a bloody coup in 2007. Despite signing several reconciliation agreements since 2011, no discernable indications of a rapprochement have been seen until an Egyptian-brokered deal was cut in October. In that version, Hamas surrendered administrative/civil control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, which was hailed as a milestone at the time. But the deal remains at a stalemate because Hamas will not surrender it sizeable arms and fighting force; will not recognize the state of Israel; nor will it end its determination to destroy the Jewish state. Despite the urging of United Nations Mideast Envoy Nicholai Mladenov who admonished that the reconciliation “must succeed,” the issue of Hamas retaining its arms and army remains a deal-breaker. Tuesday’s agenda will be topped by issues relating to the PA returning as Gaza’s governing body.