Qatar has recommended holding a summit in Doha between Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and exiled Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshal, Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam reported Sunday.

The proposal was presented to Meshal during his meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jasem al-Tani last week at the Qatari embassy in Damascus.

Another option presented was that Abbas and Meshal meet alone in Qatar or another location in order to try to settle disagreements between them on the formation of a Palestinian unity government.

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Al-Ayyam reported that contacts between the two sides are being put on hold pending Meshal's response to the proposal.

Sources close to Abbas told the newspaper that Qatar is expected to receive Meshal's response in the coming days. The sources expressed skepticism at the possibility that Meshal would accept the terms presented by Abbas, among them the demand that the future unity government respect prior agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and that it recognize Israel.

Fatah parliamentary chairman calls for new PA elections
The chairman of the Fatah faction in the Palestinian parliament on Saturday called for new elections in the Palestinian Authority. "How can one authority have two heads blaming each other?" Azzam al-Ahmed told a press conference in Ramallah.

"If so, we must turn again to the people," he said. "Any country whose government reaches a dead end calls for early parliamentary elections. Those who trust themselves do not fear the people," he added.

Ahmed's statements came in response to a speech given by Haniyeh at a rally of thousands of Hamas supporters on Friday in Gaza, in which he said all attempts to bring down the government would fail and that Hamas would continue to lead the next Palestinian government. He also expressed hope that a unity government would be established and called on Abbas to come to Gaza and continue talks in that direction.

According to Palestinian law, the PA chairman has the authority to disperse the government but not to order the dissolution of parliament and new elections.