Rival Fatah party and Islamic Hamas movement leaders are to hold an evaluative session of talks in Cairo on Saturday to discuss mutual political arrests and also a proposal to postpone the seventh round of dialogue scheduled on July 25, a Hamas spokesman said on Thursday.

Ayman Taha, Hamas spokesman in Gaza told reporters that Egypt has officially invited the two groups to Cairo to evaluate the conclusions of their previous rounds of dialogue and to find solutions to outstanding issues, mainly the mutual political arrests conducted in both Gaza and West Bank.

"The meeting will be held in Cairo between Fatah and Hamas movements on Saturday," Taha said, adding "They will evaluate the previous sessions and contacts as well as the issue of the political arrests against Hamas members in the West Bank."

In the last round of dialogue held in Cairo on June 28, the two rivals failed to overcome differences related to security and the electoral system. Egypt expected that the two sides would hold last round of dialogue on July 25, and ink a final agreement on July 28.

Taha said that Hamas delegation would include Khalil el-Hayya from Gaza and Izzat el-Resheq from Damascus, adding Hamas movement would not get back to the negotiation table until Fatah stops the political arrests in the West Bank.

Despite Egypt's efforts to mediate between rival Fatah and Hamas to end their differences, the two rivals still stick to their conditions and each keeps cracking down on the other members and activists.

Meanwhile, chief Palestinian negotiator to Cairo dialogue Azzamel-Ahmed told reporters that the Egyptians had sent an invitation to both movements "to hold a mini-meeting in Cairo to evaluate the situation following the visit of the senior Egyptian delegation to Damascus and Ramallah last week."

"The upcoming meeting will debate several issues, mainly joining the seventh round of dialogue due on July 25, or postponing it," said el-Ahmed, adding "so far we haven't found any solution to any of the outstanding issues. There are wide gaps in the understanding of all the issues between us."

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2009)