This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7307260.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Palestinian talks in Yemen 'fail' Palestinian rivals' talks 'fail'
(about 3 hours later)
Talks between rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, have collapsed, Palestinian Authority and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has said. Talks between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have collapsed, Palestinian Authority and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has said.
The talks were being mediated in Yemen by President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Both sides blamed each other for the failure of the discussions, which took place in Sanaa, in Yemen.
Mr Abbas blamed Hamas for the failure of the talks, while no Hamas official has yet commented. Mediators called for Gaza to be returned to the control of a national unity government and new elections.
The Yemeni mediators called for Gaza to be returned to the control of a national unity government, and for new Palestinian elections to be held. Fatah and Hamas admit their feud is damaging the Palestinian cause but will not yet compromise, correspondents say.
Hamas has previously rejected new elections, saying it won the right to govern in a fair vote only two years ago. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool says the major sticking-point appears to be Fatah's insistence that Hamas give up the power it took by force in Gaza in June 2007.
In June 2007, Hamas force overran Fatah forces in Gaza. Hamas refuses to do that without conditions. It has previously ruled out new elections, saying it won the right to govern in a fair vote two years ago.
Mr Abbas dismissed the Palestinian prime minister, Hamas's Ismail Haniya, leaving Gaza under the control of Hamas and the Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank run by the Palestinian Authority headed by Mr Abbas. Denials
Mr Abbas said Hamas "did not accept the formula proposed by Yemen and expressed reservations that voided it of substance". When Hamas overran Fatah forces in Gaza last year, Mr Abbas responded by dismissing the Palestinian Prime Minister, Hamas's Ismail Haniya, leaving Gaza under the control of Hamas.
"Our delegation will come back home tomorrow but it is ready to head back to Yemen once Hamas accepts the initiative as is," Mr Abbas said. The Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank fell under the Palestinian Authority, headed by Mr Abbas. Fatah and Hamas have had very little direct communication since then.
The senior Hamas official at the talks in Yemen, Moussa Abu Marzuk, said on Wednesday that the militant Islamist group would share control of Gaza with Fatah if Mr Haniya was reappointed as prime minister. There was divison over why the Sanaa talks failed.
Mr Abbas said Hamas "did not accept the formula proposed by Yemen and expressed reservations that voided it of substance...
"Our delegation will come back home tomorrow but it is ready to head back to Yemen once Hamas accepts the initiative as is."
Wrong delegates
But Hamas officials denied they had rejected the proposals. The senior Hamas official at the talks in Yemen, Moussa Abu Marzuk, told al-Arabiya television they had approved the initiative "in all its seven articles for discussion with the Fatah movement...
"The brothers made the mistake of dispatching a delegation that had nothing to do with (Fatah-Hamas) dialogue - they sent a PLO delegation whereas the Yemeni initiative is concerned with dialogue between Fatah and Hamas."
The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) umbrella group includes Fatah, but not Hamas.
Mr Marzuk said on Wednesday that the militant Islamist group would share control of Gaza with Fatah if Mr Haniya was reappointed as prime minister.
Both sides did agree to meet for further discussions.