Syria: No peace while Fatah, Hamas clash

Syria: No peace while Fatah, Hamas clash

His comments to Syrian journalists at a briefing in Damascus came as Egypt announced Thursday its call for a peace summit with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders next week that aims to boost Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas against Hamas after its takeover of Gaza.

The regional gathering, to be held Monday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, will be the biggest show of support yet by Arab states for Abbas' Fatah party in his bitter showdown with the Islamic militants, who seized control of Gaza last week.

In the wake of the Gaza takeover, Abbas dissolved the national unity government with Hamas and set up an emergency cabinet of Fatah members.

Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said the Palestinian president would call for a resumption of peace talks with Israel, arguing that only progress toward Palestinian statehood can serve as a true buffer against Hamas.

But Syria's al-Sharaa, whose country hosts exiled Hamas leaders, said Syria encouraged dialogue between Fatah and Hamas. "It is vital even if it does not lead to direct results, but dialogue must start again," he said.

"No faction can cancel out the other," he added.