22 Feb 2009

Egypt to host Palestinian talks this week

10:13 am on 22 February 2009

Egypt says reconciliation talks between Palestinian groups will take place on Wednesday.

Ending divisions between Hamas and Fatah is seen as essential to lifting a blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The blockade has been in force since Hamas won a parliamentary election in 2006.

Hamas drove Fatah out of Gaza in June 2007.

The talks were meant to have begun in Egypt on Sunday, but were postponed last week.