Egyptian President Morsi meets Palestinian rivals

President Mohamed Morsi has stepped into a bitter Palestinian rivalry, meeting separately with leaders of the two factions.

Mr Morsi first talked to the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, today. His Fatah faction governs the West Bank. The Egyptian President had a meeting set for later with Khaled Mashaal, the leader of Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip.

Mr Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood is the parent organisation of Hamas. The two Palestinian groups have been at odds since Hamas overran Gaza in 2007, ousting Fatah.

Officials from Hamas and Fatah said the talks would focus on setting up a unity government, which would pave the way for long-overdue elections.