CBNNews.com - CAIRO - Egypt extended another invitation to rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, to meet in Cairo next week for talks, according to MENA (Middle East News Agency).

According to MENA, delegations from both factions are expected in Cairo Monday.

Egypt is one of several Arab countries that have worked to reunite Fatah and Hamas, following the June 2007 bloody military coup in the Gaza Strip, when Hamas seized control from Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah security forces.

Since that time, despite efforts by Egypt, Jordan, Yemin and several other Arab League member nations, the two factions have been unable to reconcile their differences.

Following the Hamas takeover, Abbas dissolved the PA government, deposed Gaza-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh as prime minister, and appointed Salam Fayyad in his place.

Hamas, which beat its rival faction in the January 2006 legislative elections, rejected PA demands to apologize for the coup and return control of Gaza to Abbas's Fatah government.

Source: Haaretz