Egypt seeks to resume inter-Palestinian dialogue next month to reconcile rival factions of Hamas and Fatah, a Pan-Arab newspaper Asharaq al-Awsat reported Saturday.
"Egypt has resumed its contacts with Hamas to overcome the obstacles that prevented the dialogue from being held," said the daily.
The dialogue was due to hold on Nov. 10 but Hamas thwarted the initiative, saying it cannot meet with Fatah while it clamps down against Hamas supporters in the West Bank.
Egypt drafted the agenda of the dialogue, which aims at ironing out the political split between Hamas and Fatah after Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza Strip last year. Hamas raised several reservations on them.
In a response to the news hat Egypt resumed its efforts to hold the dialogue again, Fatah welcomed it by saying that "we believe the Egyptian-drafted agenda have become an Arab initiative after the Arabs authorized Egypt to go on with its efforts," according Abdullah Abu Samhadana of Fatah.
Earlier, Mahmoud Zaahr, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, said the Egyptian-drafted paper "is over and Hamas is no longer interested in it."
Since it won parliamentary elections in 2006, Hamas rejects any proposal calling for holding early elections to boost the reconciliation.
Source: Xinhua
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