Saudi Arabia on Sunday invited leaders from the rival Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas for talks in the holy city of Mecca, which was accepted by the Hamas- led Palestinian government.

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz announced the invitation in an open letter on Sunday as the latest flare-up of violence had claimed the lives of 23 people in the Gaza Strip since Thursday.

The official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the king's statement as saying that "I invite all my Palestinian brothers ... to an urgent meeting in their brotherly Saudi Arabia at the sacred house of God (Mecca's Grand Mosque) ... to discuss their differences without any intervention from any outside parties."

Reports reaching here said that Palestinian Foreign Ministry spokesman Taher An-Nono later on Sunday expressed Hamas' welcome to the invitation.

However, the Fatah movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas has yet to respond to the offer.

In the latest wave of violence between Hamas and Fatah, which began late Thursday, at least 23 Palestinians had been killed and dozens wounded.

Source: Xinhua