Palestinian PM 'plans Hamas talks'

No date has been given for Mr Qurei's proposed meeting with Hamas

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has proposed meeting members of the militant group Hamas to discuss a new ceasefire with Israel, reports say.

Hamas spokesman Ismail Haniya told the Israeli online newspaper Haaretz that Mr Qurei had sent a letter to the group expressing his wish for discussions.

"There is no reason not to meet with [Mr Qurei] and preparations are already being made," Mr Haniya told the paper.

"We'll listen to what [he] has to say and we'll tell him our views."

A previous ceasefire between the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Islamic Jihad collapsed in late August.

Buildings destroyed

Mr Qurei's office did not confirm the proposed meeting.

However, a spokesman for the Palestinian prime minister told the Associated Press news agency he "has declared from the beginning that he is working to achieve a mutual ceasefire with Israel and working as well to confirm that there is one authority in the Palestinian territories".

No date was given for such a meeting.

A senior Israeli official told AP that Israel was following the ceasefire developments but was not involved.

On Sunday Israeli troops temporarily evacuated 2,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip before blowing up three partially-completed tower blocks and levelling them in huge explosions, witnesses said.

Israeli security sources said the buildings - near the Netzarim Jewish settlement - were being used by Palestinian militants to observe Israeli troop movements.

Three Israeli soldiers were killed at Netzarim on Friday after Palestinian gunmen entered the settlement in an attack claimed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.