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No agreement in Palestinian talks No agreement in Palestinian talks
(about 2 hours later)
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas' exiled political chief have failed to agree on forming a national unity government during talks in Syria.Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas' exiled political chief have failed to agree on forming a national unity government during talks in Syria.
They said talks on the issue would resume within two weeks and stressed the need to end factional fighting. However they said progress had been made and that talks on the issue would resume within two weeks.
The meeting between Mr Abbas and Khaled Meshaal came amid tensions between Fatah and Hamas, which are locked in a power struggle in the Gaza Strip. Mr Abbas and Khaled Meshaal said although differences remained they would be resolved through dialogue.
Mr Abbas has said he will call fresh elections unless a deal is reached. The talks came amid a power struggle between their factions in Gaza, in which dozens of people have died.
Hamas, which has been in power since last January, has said that would be tantamount to a coup. Mr Abbas has threatened to call fresh elections unless a deal on forming a national unity government is reached.
At a news conference following three hours of talks in Damascus, Mr Abbas said his meeting with Mr Meshaal had been "fruitful". Hamas roundly defeated Mr Abbas' Fatah faction in parliamentary elections a year ago, but their victory prompted an international aid boycott which has crippled the Palestinian economy.
Fatah advocates negotiations with the Israelis on a future Palestinian state, while Hamas refuses to recognise Israel's right to exist.
'Need for dialogue''Need for dialogue'
In a joint statement, both men said efforts to form a national unity government had "covered a great distance" and negotiations would resume within two weeks. Following three hours of talks, Mr Abbas and Mr Meshaal said efforts to form a national unity government had "covered a great distance" and negotiations would resume within two weeks.
"There are still points of disagreement between us but we will sort it through dialogue," Mr Meshaal said. It is not normal to fight Khaled MeshaalHamas political chief "There are still points of disagreement between us but we will sort it through dialogue," Mr Meshaal said.
"We stress that dialogue is the only language allowed for solving our differences... It is not normal to fight.""We stress that dialogue is the only language allowed for solving our differences... It is not normal to fight."
It was the first time Mr Abbas and Mr Meshaal have met since 2005. The two men repeated their call for an end to the internal fighting which has left more than 30 Palestinians dead.
Hamas roundly defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections a year ago, but their victory prompted an international aid boycott which has crippled the Palestinian economy. And in separate statements both men again rejected the idea of a transitional Palestinian state within temporary borders.
Fatah advocates negotiations with the Israelis on a future Palestinian state, while Hamas refuses to recognise Israel's right to exist. The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Damascus says the official line is that progress has been made and negotiations will continue back in Gaza.
But she says after all the diplomatic pressure to get these two men in the same room - not least from their Syrian hosts - many here are left wondering what has really been achieved.