Palestinian leaders say unity talks to continue

Damascus, Jan 22: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas andHamas leader Khaled Meshaal failed to agree on a unity government butsaid talks would continue and halting bloodshed between Palestinianswas their priority.

Speaking after more three hours of talks in the Syrian capital, Abbas told reporters their meeting had been ''fruitful''.

''We agreed that the utmost priority is that there should be no spilling of Palestinian blood,'' he said.

A power struggle between Hamas, which won Palestinian electionslast year, and Abbas's long-dominant Fatah faction has led to violencein Gaza and the West Bank after efforts to form a unity governmentbroke down and Abbas called for elections.

''We will continue our meetings and dialogue in the near future toreach an agreement that ends the siege on the Palestinian people,''Abbas said.

A statement read to reporters said the talks on a unity government would continue in two weeks.

Islamist Hamas has struggled to govern under the weight of US-ledsanctions imposed because of its refusal to recognise Israel, renounceviolence and abide by interim peace deals.

Abbas hopes a unity government will get sanctions lifted although Hamas has resisted some of his conditions.

Meshaal said there were ''points of disagreement between us but we will sort it through dialogue''.

Mediation

A meeting scheduled for late on Saturday had beenpostponed after officials failed to reconcile differences over a newgovernment and how it would deal with Western demands.

Yesterday, Syria's Vice President Farouq al-Shara held separatetalks with Abbas and Meshaal in a last-ditch effort to get the two mento meet.

''The mere fact that Abbas and Meshaal met is historic and is aboost for the cause of Palestinian unity,'' senior Hamas officialMohammad Nazzal told Reuters.

Before the talks, Hamas officials played down the chances of fullagreement, and said the two men would discuss whom to appoint to theministries of the interior, finance and foreign affairs in a unitygovernment.

They also said talks between Abbas aides and Hamas officials inthe past few days reached an understanding that Palestinian PrimeMinister Ismail Haniyeh would lead the next government.

Izzat al-Rishq, another prominent Hamas figure, said the twoleaders failed to bridge differences over a programme for the newgovernment. Disagreement centred on whether Hamas would commit toprevious PLO peace deals with Israel and a 2002 Arab initiative thatoffered Israel normal relations in return for full withdrawal fromlands it occupied in 1967.

Abbas arrived in Damascus on Saturday and met Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad, who has close ties with Meshaal and allows the exiledHamas leadership to live in Syria.

Reuters>