CAIRO - Early elections might be the solution to the Palestinian stalemate, which has defied Egyptian attempts to broker a government of national unity, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in remarks published Thursday.

"A high-ranking Egyptian security delegation is in Gaza and is contacting the various Palestinian groups to try to stop the bloodshed," Mubarak said in an interview with the editor of the weekly newspaper Al-Osboa, Mustafa Bakri.

Extracts from the interview, due to be published Sunday, were carried by Egypt's official Middle East News Agency.

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More than a dozen Palestinians have been killed in recent fighting between supporters of the two main parties, Fatah, headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and Hamas, which controls the Palestinian government.

The West suspended aid to the Palestinians in the wake of Hamas' victory in the January elections, due to Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel, renounce violence or abide by previously signed peace deals. The Islamic party won 74 out of the 132 parliamentary seats in the elections.

The result has meant thousands of Palestinian civil servants have not received their salaries for months, leading to mass demonstrations and street battles.

Attempts to form a unity government have foundered on Hamas' refusal to change its position on Israel.

"Egypt made a great effort to achieve the formation of a Palestinian national unity government, but this effort was thwarted by Palestinian disagreements," Mubarak said.

"Palestinian efforts could lead to new elections for the legislative council as a way out of the current crisis," he added.

Abbas has considered calling new elections, but an opinion poll Tuesday indicated that Fatah would tie with Hamas if a vote was held now. The poll also indicated that voters consider Abbas less trustworthy than Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas.

Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of the Fatah faction in the Palestinian Legislative Council, told Haaretz on Tuesday that most of the Palestinian factions - not counting Hamas - have agreed to give the political leaders two weeks to reach an agreement on a unity government.

If they do not reach an agreement on the matter, he said, Abbas must use his powers to dissolve the government and hold elections. Ahmad said Abbas agreed with this position.