Yemen offers to mediate between Hamas, Fatah

SANAA, Aug 9 (Reuters) Yemen today offered to mediate between Palestinian factions, urging them to set aside feuding for the sake of their wider national interests, and said Hamas had agreed to accept the initiative.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by telephone that ''Hamas has accepted the Yemeni initiative and hopes that all Palestinian brothers would agree on what serves their national interest...'', Yemen's official news agency Saba reported.

Saleh was speaking after holding talks with visiting Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, during which he said Yemen ''was keen to see Palestinians close ranks and act as one''.

Abbas has said he would only accept any push for rapprochement with Islamist group Hamas if it relinquishes control over the Gaza Strip.

In June, Hamas fighters routed Gaza forces loyal to the Western-backed, secular Fatah faction of Abbas, who responded by dismissing the Hamas-led cabinet and forming a new government in the West Bank.

The new Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, has said that Hamas must accept his government's authority before it will consider calls for negotiations.

REUTERS AE BST2153