Palestinian leader Abbas meets with Hamas, no word on truce

GAZA CITY, Jan 22 (AFP) - Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas met here Saturday with leaders of the radical Islamist Hamas movement but apparently failed to persuade the group to end their campaign of anti-Israeli attacks.
His office put out a statement after the meeting that said the talks had been "positive" and centred on "the return of calm that is in the national interest of Palestinians."
But it did not mention any truce.
Abbas has been in Gaza since Tuesday in a bid to persuade the Palestinian factions to end anti-Israeli attacks.
Earlier Saturday, three militant Palestinian groups, including the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades linked to the mainstream Fatah, said they were ready to back Abbas's bid to end armed conflict with Israel.
Thousands of Palestinian security forces are being deployed across the Gaza Strip with orders from Abbas to prevent any rocket or suicide attacks.

01/22/2005 21:41 GMT - AFP