Leading Palestinian political factions agreed Wednesday on the need to hold elections by the end of 2018, they said in a joint statement issued after two days of reconciliation talks in Cairo.

The factions called on the electoral commission to prepare for the presidential and legislative polls and also asked Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to set a date for them after consulting with all sides.

They also praised a unity agreement struck between key factions Hamas and Fatah in October aimed at ending a 10-year rift between them and under which Hamas is to cede power in the Gaza Strip by December 1.