A Hamas spokesman denied on Monday that his movement was holding secret meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement in a bid to reach a national agreement.

Hamas and Fatah rivals were reportedly holding undercover meetings to prepare for the fifth round of inter-Palestinian dialogue which is slated for May 16-19 in Cairo.

"The dialogue deals with the Palestinian affairs and so it holds in open meetings; either bilateral between Hamas and Fatah or in a comprehensive Palestinian framework," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

The internal Palestinian talks brokered by Egypt are aimed to reconcile the two movements in a unity government or a committee to liaise between Hamas' administration of the Gaza Strip and the Western-backed government which is based in the West Bank.

Abbas formed the West Bank government when his Fatah movement lost control of Gaza in a weeklong deadly fighting with Hamas in June 2007.

The Palestinian factions have agreed to hold elections in January 2010. In the coming round of talks, they are due to agree on other outstanding issues, such as the reform of the security services, the reform of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the shape of a transitional government that will stay in office until the elections are held.