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Former Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh. (Reuters)
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Last update - 13:45 11/10/2007
Senior Fatah official rules out reconciliation with rival Hamas
By Reuters

Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction ruled out talks with Hamas on Thursday, while Israel said any such dialogue with the Islamists could "torpedo" a peace deal.

Palestinian sources familiar with the matter said members of Hamas and Fatah had discussed holding peace talks, but Fatah leaders said they had not backed any meeting and rejected dialogue with Hamas unless it cedes control of the Gaza Strip, which it seized in fighting with Abbas's forces in June.

"What happened in Gaza was a military coup against legitimacy and against
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emocracy," Abdallah Franji, who is close to Abbas and a member of Fatah's central committee, told Reuters. "If they retreat then we can talk. Now we cannot."

Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led Palestinian government in June after the violence in Gaza. This led to an easing of U.S. and Israeli sanctions and plans for a peace conference next month.


On Wednesday, Hamas said that it will hold reconciliation talks with Fatah and hinted it may be ready to give up control of the Gaza Strip.

"There is a serious movement in the realm of Palestinian dialogue and we have agreed to hold a dialogue with Fatah in one of the Arab capitals," said deposed Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh.

"Our administration in Gaza is temporary," Haniyeh said at the end of a public prayer in Gaza. The statements were posted in an urgent bulletin on a pro-Hamas Web site.

Haniyeh's statements mark the first time a Hamas official has called the rule of the militant group in the coastal territory temporary. However, he has very little influence on Hamas' armed forces or political decision-makers.

The Western-backed Abbas, who is pursuing a peace deal with Israel, has ruled out re-engagement with Hamas unless the Islamist group submits to his authority and ends its control of Gaza.

A Fatah official in Gaza said he could not immediately confirm Haniyeh's statement that new talks would take place.

Haniyeh said the talks would be held after Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festival that ends the holy month of Ramadan and falls on Friday or Saturday.

An official involved in Hamas-Fatah mediation but affiliated with neither group confirmed that there would be a meeting as early as next week, and said Cairo was the likely venue.
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After the initial shock, we saw there are also advantages to having a dog with cancer.
  1.   I bet there is 23:38  |  Mark Lincoln 10/10/07
  2.   Hoist by their own petard 23:38  |  nina 10/10/07
  3.   I fear this is a trick... 23:55  |  British Leftie 10/10/07
  4.   Ismail Haniyeh Knows Hamas Lost 23:57  |  Shepherd 10/10/07
  5.   Don`t believe a word of it 23:57  |  Nemesis 10/10/07
  6.   Meeting to be held in West Bank.. 23:58  |  Avi 10/10/07
  7.   NOW WE REALLY HAVE TO WORRY. THIS IS 100% A SETUP. 00:14  |  TOM BELL 11/10/07
  8.   I though Hamas won the election 00:30  |  Neil 11/10/07
  9.   The most recent news is that Mishal is in Mecca and has reportedl 00:34  |  lakshmi 11/10/07
  10.   The PA expired in 1999 00:41  |  Dovy 11/10/07
  11.   Mark Lincoln 01:00  |  Lynn 11/10/07
  12.   3 british leftie,`progress` in abbas` talks with israel! 01:08  |  lakshmi 11/10/07
  13.   MAFIA STYLE TRUCE. MY ENEMY`S ENEMY IS MY FRIEND. (TEMPORARILY) 01:17  |  Mitch Iginer 11/10/07
  14.   Here`s what Hamas is actually saying 01:24  |  * BEN JABO 11/10/07
  15.   ABBAS: Choose PEACE Over Unity With Hamas! 01:27  |  Proud Pal Defender 11/10/07
  16.   throw weapons into the sea 01:30  |  real vision 11/10/07
  17.   Total isolation working 01:42  |  Maurice 11/10/07
  18.   Mark lakshmi and other extremists will be pleased to read your po 02:02  |  kiss kiss little boy 11/10/07
  19.   I guess that the pressure is working. 02:04  |  Murray of Montreal 11/10/07
  20.   What you don`t read in the Israeli press 02:04  |  Mark Lincoln 11/10/07
  21.   Hamas has zero credit 02:17  |  ken 11/10/07
  22.   ABBAS: Choose PEACE Over Unity With Hamas! 02:19  |  Proud Pal Defender 11/10/07
  23.   its good news. This is a real democratic decision 02:21  |  Tamir Palestine 11/10/07
  24.   rule is temporary 02:33  |  Shmuelshachor 11/10/07
  25.   A perfect excuse not to have the "peace conference" 02:43  |  Tosefta 11/10/07
  26.   To Mark Lincoln 02:55  |  Edifice 11/10/07
  27.   # 14 Murray 03:36  |  Lynn 11/10/07
  28.   Mark Lincoln #15 04:00  |  Ahmed 11/10/07
  29.   Khaled Meshaal is sweating in Damascus. 04:21  |  Fortuna Benmayor 11/10/07
  30.   "Victorious" hamas terrorists BLINK and BLINK again 04:57  |  CK Tan 11/10/07
  31.   #15 mark L WHITEWASHES hamas terrorists` BETRAYAL 04:59  |  CK Tan 11/10/07
  32.   reconciliation talks between Fatah & Hamas advantageous for all 05:06  |  Smadar 11/10/07
  33.   #15 Lincoln - forget the Israeli press 05:06  |  * BEN JABO 11/10/07
  34.   Hamas Terms 05:08  |  juniper 11/10/07
  35.   Haniyeh Abbas: Dopey and Clueless 05:56  |  Star of David 11/10/07
  36.   #14 Chanelling Sharon now, I see, Murray of Montreal 06:41  |  Johnboy 11/10/07
  37.   #18 Doesn`t seem to be much question at all, juniper 07:01  |  Johnboy 11/10/07
  38.   Improving the polls... 07:37  |  Esther 11/10/07
  39.   CK Tan 08:58  |  Jasmine Murphy 11/10/07
  40.   Johnny Boy`s distorted vision 09:06  |  Jasmine Murphy 11/10/07
  41.   Mark Lincoln 09:10  |  Jasmine Murphy 11/10/07
  42.   Do your reconciling before the peace talks 09:21  |  Jasmine Murphy 11/10/07
  43.   2nd Try,the recent news is that there will be an alternative 10:52  |  lakshmi 11/10/07
  44.   #17 Mark Lincoln 11:04  |  Sarah 11/10/07
  45.   and the winner is..... 11:05  |  ravi 11/10/07
  46.   #30 johnboy HIDES dirty SECRETS behind HIGH MORALS 11:08  |  CK Tan 11/10/07
  47.   #4 Sheperd. More likely Ismail Haniyeh... 11:25  |  Maureen Ann 11/10/07
  48.   FATAH WILL DO IT BEFORE ISRAEL 11:33  |  indrajaya 11/10/07
  49.   Mark Lincoln #1 11:36  |  S 11/10/07
  50.   Lincoln So You Prefer The Hamas Crocodile? 11:38  |  Yosemite 11/10/07
  51.   # 50, YOSEMITE 11:57  |  indrajaya 11/10/07
  52.   Read the world press folks 12:30  |  Mark Lincoln 11/10/07
  53.   BEN JABO #33 12:50  |  Arsecrack 11/10/07
  54.   Out of the Bag! those Terrorists` Secrets..... 12:59  |  Dandelion 11/10/07
  55.   Ha ha ha ha hamas 13:03  |  ScotGuy 11/10/07
  56.   ML oil slick 13:04  |  Jasmine Murphy 11/10/07
  57.   Indy Old Buddy Old Chum! The Real One! 13:07  |  Yosemite 11/10/07
  58.   PPD 13:21  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 11/10/07
  59.   Good Luck With That 13:21  |  Jane 11/10/07
  60.   Peace agreement w/Fatah, then Hamas will take control 13:43  |  Dakkar 11/10/07
  61.   An Ugly Marital Dispute 13:52  |  Klaudia 11/10/07
  62.   Peace between Hamas and Fatah 13:58  |  Stephen 11/10/07
  63.   To ravi # 45 - HAMAS is Corruption free .... 14:00  |  Dolly 11/10/07
  64.   #38 Jasmine Murphy (repost 3X) 14:01  |  CK Tan 11/10/07
  65.   Hamas feeling desperate 14:04  |  DH 11/10/07
  66.   #52 mark L EMBRACES the world press that he previously REJECTS 14:08  |  CK Tan 11/10/07
  67.   Jasmine Muphy Oil 14:15  |  Mark Lincoln 11/10/07
  68.   Living in a vacuum 14:19  |  Mark Lincoln 11/10/07
  69.   A non-denial denial by Fatah 14:21  |  Tosefta 11/10/07
  70.   Was it less than two years ago? 14:22  |  Mark Lincoln 11/10/07
  71.   Jane on `favourite epithets` #59 14:36  |  Hubal 11/10/07
  72.   #64 CK Tan. No partner? 14:49  |  Hubal 11/10/07
  73.   CK Tan - general information vs specific leaks 14:49  |  Mark Lincoln 11/10/07
  74.   No, Yosemitie Sam, I don`t 14:55  |  Mark Lincoln 11/10/07
  75.   Hubal-Look Inward for Why and How 15:12  |  Jane 11/10/07
  76.   GREAT POINT #7 - ANYTHING HAMAS LIKES MUST BE BAD FOR ISRAEL 15:16  |  ATTA TYPPESH 11/10/07
  77.   Hamas is Stuck 15:25  |  Ronnie Wolman 11/10/07
  78.   #70 lincoln and stupidity reign. when exactly 15:26  |  victor hardman 11/10/07
  79.   ML ostrich act is yours 15:31  |  Jasmine Murphy 11/10/07
  80.   ML 15:33  |  Jasmine Murphy 11/10/07
  81.   Jane. So do to Hamas what you did to Iran. 15:41  |  Hubal 11/10/07
  82.