Qatar's foreign minister is attempting to negotiate a deal between the Palestinian political factions of Mahmoud Abbas, the president, and Ismail Haniya, the prime minister.

Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani will meet Abbas and Haniya separately in Gaza City on Monday in an attempt to revive talks on forming a unity government.

"He will discuss the forming of a national unity government and will try to bring both sides closer," a senior official said.

Nabil Abu Rudeina, Abbas's spokesman, confirmed that the Palestinian president would meet Sheikh Hamad "to continue the serious and honest discussion, which was carried out last week" when Abbas visited the Qatari capital, Doha.

The Qatari minister will travel to Gaza from the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Exiled leader

Last week, Sheikh Hamad met Khaled Meshaal - the political leader of Hamas who lives in exile in Damascus - and presented to him a series of proposals aimed at reaching a breakthrough on plans for a unity government.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior aide to Abbas, told Reuters news agency that Abbas would send a message to Hamas with Shaikh Hamad telling them to accept the proposals or agree to appoint a cabinet of technocrats for a year.

"If Hamas rejects both options, we are heading for early elections," Abed Rabbo said in the West Bank city of Ram Allah.

Abbas's Fatah movement argues the president has the right to call early parliamentary elections, but Hamas disputes this.

Reconciliation document

Hamas agreed to a national unity deal in September based on a reconciliation document drawn up by Palestinian prisoners in Israel, but talks have stalled over the movement's refusal to recognize Israel.

Abbas last week gave Hamas another two weeks to accept a political program which would be acceptable to the US and the UN, saying that talks had broken down completely.

The talks have since been overshadowed by violent clashes between Hamas loyalists and supporters of Abbas's Fatah movement.

Photo Caption

Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani, the Qatari foreign minister