Under pressure from the Palestinians to patch up their differences, Hamas and Fatah leaders arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday for crucial talks on ending internal strife and forming a unity government. The leaders of the two parties expressed fear that the failure of the summit would lead to renewed fighting. The Fatah delegation is headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, while the Hamas team is led by the movement's Syria-based leader, Khaled Mashaal. PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas will also participate in the discussions, which are expected to last three days. Sources close to Abbas said that if the summit ended without an agreement, he would carry out his threat to call early presidential and parliamentary elections. "This is the last chance for Hamas," the sources added.
The sources voiced concern over a report in a Kuwaiti newspaper on Tuesday to the effect that Syrian President Bashar Assad had warned Mashaal against making concessions to Fatah.
Upon their arrival, Abbas and Mashaal met separately with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and briefed him on the latest developments in the PA-controlled territories. Saudi officials will not participate in the talks between the two Palestinian parties.