Egyptians host Gaza rivals talks

Egypt is hosting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his Hamas rivals for separate talks on restoring control over the Egyptian-Gaza border.

Mr Abbas has met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, but the delegation from Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza, will see lower-level officials.

Palestinian militants breached the wall between Gaza and Egypt a week ago after Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza.

Egyptian efforts to reseal the border by force have failed.

Palestinians are still coming across to by much-needed food, fuel and other goods, but the Egyptian authorities have now stopped supplies to the area to stem the influx.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7216893.stm

Israel tightened its embargo on Gaza, leading to acute shortages, after a sharp rise in rocket attacks from the territory on its southern towns.

Egypt has kept its border with the territory closed almost continuously since the Hamas takeover in June 2007.

The intention was to put pressure on the Islamist group, but it has become clear that Hamas must be involved if Egypt is to restore control over the border, says the BBC's Heba Saleh in Cairo.