A senior Palestinian independent official involved in the inter-Palestinian dialogue asserted on Sunday that a national reconciliation deal will be signed next month in Cairo to end the current Palestinian rift.

Yasser al-Wadiya, a Palestinian independent figure representing in the Egyptian-sponsored dialogue, revealed in a press statement that the intensive Egyptian efforts to reach a compromise deal on thorny issues will come out with positive results.

"We are optimistic that a deal will be signed on July 7 following the previous talks and meetings held between Egyptians and leaders of various Palestinian factions in Cairo," said al-Wadiya.

"The Egyptian efforts focused on forming a government of national accordance, that can be able to unify the official institutions of the Palestinian National Authority, prepare for elections on January 25, and commence the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip," he added.

Rival Fatah and Hamas movements are to resume a sixth round of dialogue, apparently the final one, in Cairo later on Sunday evening to discuss unresolved outstanding issues related to unity government, security and elections.

Regarding the security issue, al-Wadiya said that the current general approach tends towards forming a joint security force under an Arab supervision, adding that the force will carry out its tasks during transitional period until the elections are held on January 25.

On the election committee, al-Wadiya said an Egyptian compromise on election law, which follows the formula of 75 percent proportional and 25 percent constituencies, could be accepted by both Fatah and Hamas.

However, a Hamas spokesman earlier on Sunday stressed that the success of the inter-dialogue with rival Fatah party is linked to an end of political arrests targeting Hamas members in the West Bank.

Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in a press statement that all the outstanding issues and files "are linked to resolving the issue of the political arrests against Hamas members in the West Bank."

Meanwhile, Hamas on Sunday freed 20 prisoners loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party in the Gaza Strip, Hamas' Interior Ministry said.

Hamas denied it holds Fatah activists for political reasons, saying that the 20 prisoners were freed after initial interrogation found them innocent. Abbas' security forces in the West Bank also confirmed the release.

The mutual arrests between Hamas and Fatah have threatened the Egyptian-sponsored factional dialogue and weakened chances of restoring political unity to the Hamas-controlled Gaza and the Fatah-ruled West Bank.

Hamas said that there are 900 members and activists held in prisons in the West Bank. Hamas requested Abbas to free all of them gradually within a specific period of time.

"The first session of the dialogue between Hamas and Fatah in Cairo will focus on the issue of the political arrests. As soon as they agree on a solution to this issue, they will move on to other files," said Barhoum.

Barhoum denied earlier reports that there is a Palestinian proposal to postpone the dialogue for another month. Egypt told the conferees that a final reconciliation deal must be signed on July 7.

"The Palestinian factions haven't met yet to discuss the idea of postponing the inter-dialogue for another month," said Barhoum, adding "the ongoing arrests would make reaching a quick agreement so difficult."

A Palestinian source closed to the dialogue in Cairo told Xinhua on telephone that Fatah and Hamas leaders held an unofficial bilateral dialogue on Sunday afternoon in Cairo.

The source said that the Fatah-Hamas official talks will start on Sunday evening and continue until July 5, when Egypt will invite all other factions leaders for discussing draft of the final agreement before officially signing it on July 7.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2009)