Hamas to skip Egypt-hosted Palestinian talks

Damascus: A senior Hamas official in Syria on Saturday said that his group would not join Palestinian reconciliation talks with rival Fatah.

Deputy Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk said the group's decision to stay away was taken after Fatah failed to release Palestinian prisoners from its jails.

The feuding groups were expected to discuss forming a join government and rebuilding security forces at the start of the talks in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday.

Abu Marzouk said Egypt's "vision" for reconciliation "does not represent the Hamas point of view." He did not elaborate.

The Fatah delegation, already in the Egyptian capital on the eve of the talks, expressed shock at Hamas' decision.

"This decision is unwise...It shows that Hamas is irresponsible when it comes to the fate of the Palestinian people," said Fatah member Ahmad Abdel Rahman.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki confirmed that the talks had been cancelled because of Hamas' decision.