Cairo  - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was due to hold talks Monday with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak about efforts to revive inter-Palestinian dialogue and Cairo's attempts to broker a deal to end hostilities in the Gaza Strip between the militant group Hamas and Israel.

Abbas, on a tour of Arab states, stopped in Saudi Arabia on Sunday where he briefed King Abdullah about developments in the Israeli- Palestinian peace talks and Abbas' initiative to end inter- Palestinian divisions.

Abbas unexpectedly called Wednesday for a dialogue with Hamas nearly a year after the militant group's supporters ousted his Fatah loyalists from the Gaza Strip.

Several initiatives, mainly by Saudi Arabia and Yemen, to end the inter-Palestinian feud have failed in the past.

Hamas welcomed Abbas' call and the chance to start talks as soon as possible.

Delegations from Fatah and Hamas met in the Senegalese capital Dakar in a first move to start a process of "fraternal dialogue" aiming at narrowing differences, the Senegalese foreign ministry said Saturday.

Senegal currently chairs the Organization of the Islamic Conference. (dpa)