A Hamas leader on Saturday revealed that Egypt has proposed the formation of a national body that politically liaises between the Islamic movement's rulers of Gaza Strip and the Western-backed government in West Bank.

The suggestion was made as part of the Egyptian efforts to reconcile Hamas and president Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement after the two factions agreed on forming a united government but failed to agree on its political program.

"The committee would be a political reference for Gaza Strip and the West Bank and coordinates between the two territories," said Salah al-Bardaweel, a Hamas lawmaker in Gaza Strip. "The Ramallah government would have a political program committed to the (peace) deals with Hamas that does not oppose its resolutions in this context."

However, al-Bardaweel said this proposal was made in the last hours of the third round of inter-Palestinian dialogue in Cairo earlier this month. "Its features and shape were not yet clear and we will inquire about it more during the coming round of talks that will resume on April 26."

Hamas, which won legislative elections in 2006, said it can not join a unity government that would be committed to the peace agreement that bear a recognition of Israel, but Fatah argues a platform that maintains these deals would secure an international recognition of the Palestinian government.

Currently, Hamas controls the Gaza Strip with its own administration that it formed after routing pro-Abbas forces and ousting his Fatah movement in deadly fighting in 2007. Abbas consolidates his ruling in West Bank.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2009)