Fatah rejects Hamas request for bilateral negotiations

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction has rejected a request by Islamist rival Hamas to meet ahead of unity talks planned for next month in Cairo, Fatah officials said yesterday.

"Hamas has tried to change the Egyptian plan by requesting a bilateral meeting with Fatah, which excludes the other 11 Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) factions. We adhere to the Egyptian plan, which calls for a meeting of all the factions," a senior Fatah official told Reuters by telephone from Amman.

"We don't object to holding a bilateral meeting with Hamas after the comprehensive meeting takes place," he said.

Egypt's Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman has held a series of separate talks with all Palestinian factions to heal the rift between Hamas and the PLO since the Islamists seized Gaza last year.

Abbas has not sanctioned any meetings between his Fatah group and Hamas, and has insisted that such meetings would only take place after Hamas quits control of Gaza, officials said.

Despite positive statements by Fatah and Hamas officials, the positions have not changed and relations have remained bitter.

Palestinian officials said 12 PLO factions, including Fatah, have approved a reconciliation plan drawn up by Egypt.

They said the plan calls for ending Hamas' control over Gaza by forming a transitional non-factional government that would prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections, and for Arab forces to help restructure Gaza's security forces.

Hamas's top negotiator, Moussa Abu Marzouq, said the Islamists had agreed with Egypt's "vision" for a joint Gaza government, but wanted other factions to join rather than for it to be non-partisan.

Hamas has also called for the formation of committees that would discuss details of the disputed issues.

Senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad said Fatah sent its response to Hamas' request to meet to Egypt yesterday.

"There is no need for bilateral meetings now. We prefer the meetings to be comprehensive and for Egypt to pursue its consultations with the factions. We don't object to the formation of committees if they are formed of all the factions and are not confined to Fatah and Hamas," al-Ahmad told Reuters.

In June, Abbas called for a comprehensive national dialogue to end the schism between the West Bank, where Fatah holds sway, and Hamas-run Gaza.

Hamas said it would not recognize Abbas as a legitimate president after his term ends on January 9.