WORLD> Middle East
Egypt starts sending invitations for inter-Palestinian dialogue
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-30 17:09

GAZA -- Egypt started sending invitations to rival Palestinian factions to participate in national dialogue it will host in Cairo next month, Palestinian sources said on Thursday.

The dialogue will try to achieve reconciliation between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and Islamic Hamas movement.

The sources said the sending of the invitations would complete in the coming couple of days as the dialogue will start on November 9.

The invitations were already sent to President Abbas and Nabil Shaath who will head Fatah delegation for the dialogue.

Hamas and Fatah have accepted to hold talks sponsored by Egypt. The Cairo dialogue would be the first official talks between Hamas and Fatah since the Islamic movement routed pro-Abbas forces, ousted Fatah and took over Gaza Strip by force last year.

The dialogue intends to handle the aftermaths of the Gaza takeover by brokering an agreement for forming a unity government, reforming security services and holding early elections. The Hamas- Fatah tension started after Hamas won the parliamentary elections in 2006.

Meanwhile, the participation of President Abbas in the dialogue was subject to argument among his Fatah movement. The head of Fatah delegation, Nabil Shaath, confirmed that Abbas will participate, but Abdullah Abdullah, a senior Fatah leader, said Abbas will not join the dialogue "because he is a president representing all the Palestinians, not a particular faction."