NEGOTIATIONS TO end the split between Hamas and Fatah were postponed indefinitely on Saturday, deepening the divide between the two leading Palestinian factions.
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip told 11 visiting European members of parliament that the Islamic movement had released 17 political detainees from mainstream Fatah in the West Bank as a goodwill gesture ahead of the talks in Cairo which had been set to begin today. "We expected a similar measure from our brothers in Ramallah, but unfortunately the situation worsened ahead of the meeting," he said.
Mr Haniyeh said Fatah is holding 400 Hamas members, and all calls for their release have been ignored. Fatah took 170 prisoners in Hebron at the end of October.
Mahmoud Zahar, Hamas interlocutor, said: "Egypt postponed the talks because it believed there was a bad atmosphere between the sides that would have most likely led to . . . failure of the talks."
The parliamentary delegation, led by Lord Nazir Ahmed, a British peer, includes former British Labour Party minister Clare Short, TDs Christopher Andrews and Aengus Ó Snodaigh, and legislators from Spain, Italy, Scotland, Wales and Switzerland.
Refused entry to Gaza by Israel and Egypt, the parliamentarians travelled to the Strip on the Free Gaza movement's blockade-busting ship, SS Dignity,which made its second voyage on Friday.
Mr Haniyeh reiterated that his government was willing to accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in 1967.
The collapse of the talks undermines the credibility of Egypt, broker of the effort, as well as its supporters, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Arab League. Cairo held consultations with all 13 Palestinian factions and drew up a reconciliation document which Hamas and Fatah were expected to sign.
The document provides for the creation of a transitional cabinet to prepare for simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections; the establishment of a new government; Hamas and Islamic Jihad membership in the 10-faction Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO); and reform of the security services.
Speaking before Hamas leaders based in Damascus expressed reluctance to go to Cairo, Dr Zahar said Hamas approached the talks with "goodwill" and "flexibility". Although Hamas rejects the Egyptian proposal for simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections, this issue could be decided in committee.
Hamas believes the presidential poll should be held in January 2009, when Mahmoud Abbas's term ends. The legislative election, it says, should be in January 2010 when the mandate of the current Hamas-majority parliament expires.
Dr Zahar expressed doubts that Fatah would agree to a deal because of divisions within the organisation and pressures from the US and Israel.
Nayef Hawatmeh, head of the Marxist Democratic Front, one of the secular factions due to attend the Cairo meeting, said the obstacle to reconciliation was Hamas's determination "to keep power in Gaza and build its own Islamic political system. Its backers, Syria, Iran and Sudan, do not understand that they must support Palestinian national dialogue to end the split. Syria wants to leave everything till . . . there is a new US administration and a new Israeli government."
Ghassan Khatib, former labour minister, blamed both sides for the impasse. "Hamas wants 100 per cent control in Gaza and Fatah 100 per cent control in the West Bank. Fatah leaders are enthusiastic for dialogue but are not ready to share power. Hamas is not in a position to give concessions. But time is on [its] side because Fatah is the weaker party. Fatah does not see that."