Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal is discussing the possible renewal of talks between his movement and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas' Fatah faction in Saudi Arabia, an aide said. Meshaal held talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal in Riyadh on Monday which touched on "the issue of resuming an inter-Palestinian dialogue," the aide told AFP.
Prince Saud and Meshaal also discussed the situation in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, which has been under a punishing Israeli blockade imposed in a bid to halt militant rocket fire.
Saud's talks with Meshaal "were in the context of the kingdom's keenness to achieve Palestinian unity in order to face the dangers and inhuman conditions under which the Palestinians are living," a Saudi official said.
Meanwhile, Meshaal's deputy, Musa Abu-Marzuq has urged Fatah to accept an unconditional dialogue and expressed his hope that the Saudi mediation between the two rival movements would result in "direct dialogue." Speaking to Asharq al-Awsat after the Hamas delegation's meeting with Prince Saud, he said that "Fatah should not put the cart before the horse." He pointed out that there is no solution for the present Palestinian crisis except dialogue and added: "There is no other route for healing the rift other than dialogue."
