Mashaal: Hamas joining PLO

CAIRO, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- One of the top leaders of Hamas said Friday the group has agreed to reunite with the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

Khaled Mashaal, head of the Hamas Politburo, met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday in Cairo, Ynetnews.com reported. Mashaal said the agreement will change the PLO.

"No one can monopolize the PLO anymore and political decisions will no longer be one-sided," Mashaal said.

Hamas won a parliamentary majority in 2006 in the Palestinian Authority. But the group clashed continually with Fatah, which continued to hold the presidency.

After Hamas seized control of Gaza, Fatah became the governing majority in the larger West Bank.