Egypt has invited the Damascus-based leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to Cairo to join talks aimed at reconciling Palestinian factions and forming a "national unity" government, a Palestinian news agency reported Saturday. Gaza's "Sama" news agency quoted "high-ranking Palestinian sources" as saying that Egypt sent official invitations to exiled top Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Ramadan Shallah, chief of Islamic Jihad in Syria, to join the Cairo talks. The two leaders will arrive later this week in Cairo, Sama reported. On Saturday, Sama reported that despite sticking points in the negotiations, "There had been intensive efforts by the Egyptian mediators and the factions' leaders to bridge the gaps within the coming days." Khaled al-Batsh, a senior member of the Palestinian faction Islamic Jihad, on Saturday called previous reports that negotiating committees in Cairo had ended their discussions and would leave Egypt on Sunday morning "groundless." "There are difficulties, but the atmosphere is still encouraging for reaching a deal within the coming few days. The differences on forming a government can be resolved by reaching a common understanding," al-Batsh was quoted as saying by DPA. In a written statement sent to reporters earlier Saturday, senior Fatah leader Nabil Shaath said that factions' representatives in five committees were expected to end their discussions by Saturday evening. Delegates had formed five committees to look at forming a national unity government, preparing for legislative and presidential elections, control of Palestinian security forces and reforming the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
