Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    GAZA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- An Islamic Jihad leader on Thursday said wide differences between the platforms of Hamas and Fatah have largely contributed in thwarting an Egyptian effort to hold an inter-Palestinian reconciliation dialogue.

    "The failure of achieving national Palestinian reconciliation is the big difference between the political programs of Hamas and Fatah," said Ibraheem al-Najjar, an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza city.

    The dialogue was due to start in Cairo on November 9 but Hamas boycotted it, protesting a Fatah-led clampdown against its supporters in West Bank. The talks were supposed to reconcile the two movements and end the consequences of Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza Strip last year.

    "The two parties to internal conflict, Hamas and Fatah, are required to put their differences aside and agree on common factors in order to reunite the Palestinian people," al-Najjar added.

    West Bank and Gaza Strip turned into two politically-separated entities with the two parties cracking down against their political dissidents: Hamas supporters in West Bank and Fatah members in Gaza Strip.

    Hamas denied that the dialogue has failed, insisted it was only postponed.

    The Islamic movement also says it can join the dialogue when security forces, loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas, stop their crackdown against Hamas supporters in West Bank.

    Furthermore, Hamas wants Egypt, which drafted the agenda of the talks, to consider several reservations the Islamic movement raised.