"Abbas' visit was transferred the dialogue into a new positive phase of ongoing contacts and interactions to come up with an agreeing formula," Zidan told the Voice of Palestine radio.

Abbas-Haneya meeting ends without deal

    GAZA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A meeting held between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya in Gaza Saturday night ended without an agreement.

    "Abbas and Haneya could meet again Sunday evening to continue discussions on essential issues," Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of Abbas' Office, told reporters.

    The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that about 40 members of the Force 17 of the Presidential Guards were deployed at Karni and would take over security responsibility at the crossing, the main terminal for goods in and out of the Gaza Strip.

    GAZA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas held a closed-door meeting in Gaza City on midnight Friday in a bid to resolve differences over a statehood proposal, well-informed Palestinian sources said on Saturday.

    Sources close to Abbas said that the president and Haneya had discussed recent progress made by the Palestinian factions in talks over the proposal which seeks an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Hamas says progress made on statehood proposal

    GAZA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government said on Saturday that progress had been made in talks over thorny issues in a statehood proposal that implicitly recognizes Israel.

    Ghazi Hamad told reporters in Gaza that all the Palestinian factions were well aware that their talks on the proposal must come up with an agreement soon, noting progress regarding sticky issues.

    Yasser Abed Rabbo, who is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told a local radio that Hamas was gradually getting closer toward accepting the proposal.

    RAMALLAH, June 20 (Xinhua) -- A senior Fatah official denied on Tuesday any significant progress in the inter-Palestinian dialogue that aims to avoid a referendum called by President Mahmoud Abbason a statehood proposal alongside Israel.

    Three points of the proposal raised by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are still rejected by the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and its ally Islamic Jihad (Holy War), head of Fatah's parliamentary bloc Azzam al-Ahmad told the Voice of Palestine radio.

Hamas, Fatah agree to end violence

    RAMALLAH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Fatah movement agreed on Monday to end violence between supporters of the two groups and settle their differences through dialogue.

    Officials from the two groups signed an agreement named the "Document of Honor and National Oath" in the West Bank city of Ramallah, calling for followers to boost social security and avoid clashes.

   RAMALLAH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A senior Fatah official said on Monday that the movement hoped the national dialogue could end up with adoption of the Prisoners' Document of National Accordance so that a technocrat government would be easily formed.

   Rafiek Natsha, member of Fatah's revolutionary council, told reporters on Monday that his movement is more interested in an inclusive political vision to be reached in the national dialogue.

    AMMAN, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday that he will hold a referendum on a prisoners' document that implicitly recognizes Israel if a national dialogue fails.

    "I hope that this dialogue will succeed, for if we do not succeed, we will resort to the referendum," Abbas told Jordanian media after a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II.

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