The first session of the five-round dialogue between rival Fatah and Hamas leaders ended in Cairo late on Saturday without making any progress on substantial issues, Fatah sources close to the dialogue said.

The sources told Xinhua from Cairo by telephone that the session on Saturday was positive during which all issues, mainly a unity government, security and the elections, were deeply discussed.

The sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said the conferees agreed to resume their dialogue on Sunday hoping to agree on forming a unity government, unifying the security apparatuses and establishing the system of the elections.

Meanwhile, an Islamic Hamas movement spokesman said on Saturday that the issue of recognizing Israel is not a subject of negotiations in the bilateral inter-reconciliation dialogue being held currently in Cairo.

Leaders of rival Fatah and Hamas movements started in Cairo on Saturday the fifth round of inter-dialogue aiming at overcoming differences and ending the current political and geographical rift between them.

"We can discuss with Fatah all options in a style that doesn't contradict with our national goals and keeps the rights of our people, except the American paper that asks us to recognize Israel," said Fawzi Barhoum.

The two delegations are arguing in Cairo four outstanding issues related to formation of a unity government, the system of general elections, the rehabilitation of security forces and reform of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

"The success of the fifth round of talks is linked to a step forward to be presented by Fatah movement to end the rift and unify the Palestinians," Barhoum said. "We will debate all issues, except the American option."

The international Quartet, which does not recognize Hamas, insists that it will deal with a Palestinian government that abides by its requirements related to the recognition of Israel and condemnation of violence.

In the previous rounds of dialogue, the two movements agreed to hold general elections for both the Palestinian Legislative council (PLC), the parliament in the territories, and the National Council (PNC), the parliament in the Diaspora.

They also agreed on forming a unity government that unifies Gaza with the West Bank, but disagreed on the political platform of the government.

The two movements also reached an agreement on reconciliation and ending the internal violence, which erupted between them in the Gaza Strip in June 2007, leading to Hamas' takeover of Gaza by force.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2009)