Syrian Vice President Farouk al- Shara on Monday called on the Palestinian factions to reach an agreement in an ongoing national dialogue over a proposal seeking Palestinian statehood, the official SANA news agency reported.

During a meeting with Damascus-based Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal, al-Shara urged Palestinian factions to reach common grounds, which he said should be based on national principles that ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, said SANA.

He also reiterated Syria's readiness to offer any help that may contribute to enhancing the Palestinian unity against existing challenges, according to the report.

For his part, Meshaal said that both sides emphasized on working to form a Palestinian national unity government and rebuilding the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The Hamas leader also expressed hope that the Palestinian national dialogue would reach consensus in the interests of the Palestinian people.

The meeting between al-Shara and Meshaal came as Palestinian factions are engaged in talks over a proposal seeking an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, a document widely seen as implicitly recognizing the Jewish state.

Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, is sworn to Israel's destruct and refuses to renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept previous Palestinian deals with Israel.

Negotiators participating in the inter-Palestinian talks voiced cautious optimism on Monday over reaching an agreement on the proposal.

But Palestinian Prime Minister and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haneya said that it was premature to talk about forming a new government of national unity.

Meanwhile, Hamas sources said that disagreements still remained on thorny issues including recognition of the PLO as the Palestinians' sole representative, acceptance of a Palestinian state in the territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war and negotiations with the Jewish state.

The PLO, an umbrella grouping key Palestinian factions with Fatah as its backbone, espouses a negotiated two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Hamas is not its member.

Hamas took the reins of the Palestinian government in late March following its victory over the long-dominant Fatah movement in the Jan. 25 parliamentary elections.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a referendum on July 26 on the proposal if Palestinian factions fail to reach an agreement.

Source: Xinhua