In the Occupied Territories, the rival Palestinian political factions Fatah and Hamas have reached an agreement to end their nearly five-year rift. The agreement reportedly covers several major points of contention, including the formation of a transitional government, security arrangements, release of all prisoners with a non-criminal background, and the restructuring of the Palestine Liberation Organization to allow Hamas’s membership. The two sides have been locked in a bitter conflict since Fatah and the Bush administration tried to overthrow Gaza’s Hamas-led government in 2006 after Hamas won Palestinian national elections. Israel says it will continue to reject any peace negotiations with a government that includes Hamas. The Obama administration signaled its opposition to the deal by reiterating the longstanding U.S. designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization.