Haniyeh says Hamas should be in Arab talks

GAZA, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says his militant group should have been invited by Egyptian and Arab League leaders to take part in upcoming talks.

The former prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority said Hamas leaders should be joining Arab foreign minister in Cairo next week as they meet to discuss ongoing Hamas-Fatah relations, The Jerusalem Post reported Saturday.

Haniyeh said one of the best ways to resolve the conflicts between the Palestinian factions would be for Hamas officials to offer their position on the matter during the Cairo talks.

The Hamas leader's comments come after he dismissed reports that relations between his militant group and Egypt had suffered from failed Hamas-Fatah talks. Egypt had served as a mediator for those unsuccessful negotiations, the Post said.

"In day-to-day relations there may be differences, this is true, but it does not mean that there is a strategic tension with our brothers in Egypt," Haniyeh said.