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Palestinian groups will meet in Egypt on April 1 to discuss moves towards a unity government, an official loyal to the Fatah movement of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has said.
The planned meeting between Fatah and its main rival Hamas comes after both sides failed to reach an agreement in talks on March 19.
"We are exerting every possible effort ... in order to reach an agreement," Ahmed Qurei, head of the Fatah delegation to the talks, told the Reuters news agency.
However, Hamas officials have said that Cairo has not yet invited them.
Factional differences
Abbas has repeatedly called for a national unity government to be set up so that fresh Palestinian elections can be held.
The president has also said that unity between Hamas and Fatah will speed the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip after Israel’s 22-day war on the territory, in which more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed.
Hamas, however, has refused to agree to Fatah's call for it to observe interim peace agreements that Fatah has signed with Israel.
Ayman Taha, a senior Hamas official, said the organization would work to ensure that fresh talks succeed, but said it would not observe peace agreements with Israel.
"Abiding by peace agreements means the recognition of Israel and that is completely rejected," Taha said.
The relationship between Fatah and Hamas has deteriorated since Hamas won a Palestinian general election in 2006.
PHOTO CAPTION
A Palestinian flag is waved on March 10, 2009 in Gaza City.
Al-Jazeera
