Ramallah/Cairo - Palestinian factions will reconvene in Cairo in early April to hash out an agreement on a "national unity" government, representatives of Palestinian factions said Tuesday.

The talks, which were suspended on Thursday after parties failed to agree on such issues as the composition of the new government and whether it will recognise Israel, will reconvene after the March 30 Arab League summit in Qatar, Cairo's official MENA news agency reported.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, agreed to stop criticizing each other in the media ahead of the last round of talks in Cairo, but since talks faltered last week, politicians from both sides have blamed the other for the breakdown in negotiations.

Azzam Ahmad, a senior Fatah member with close ties to Abbas, blamed Hamas for the breakdown in talks last week.

"Until now, Hamas is not ready to reach an agreement," Ahmad, who negotiated on behalf of Abbas' secular Fatah during the 10 days of talks in Cairo, told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

He said there was no reason for the Egyptians to invite rival Palestinian factions for a new round of talks "if they do not believe there is going to be a change" in Hamas' position.

Hani al-Masri, an independent Palestinian who also took part in the Cairo talks, disagreed. Hamas had made "important and genuine" changes in its positions, he told reporters at the same meeting. He said he believed the group was ready for further concessions that could lead to a compromise.

"Hamas has shown flexibility regarding the structure of the new government and has said it was ready to concede the prime minister's post to an independent figure," al-Masri said, noting that Hamas had also agreed to hold new presidential and legislative elections before January 25, 2010.

Negotiations on the new government's platform have faltered over whether the new government would "respect" or "abide by" agreements the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) previously reached.

Fatah wants the platform to endorse past interim peace agreements signed by the PLO.

Hamas has thus far refused because the agreements call for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which would imply recognition of Israel. It also disputes the authority of the PLO, in which it is not represented.

Ahmad and al-Masry agreed that if Arabs could reconcile their differences at next week's Arab League summit, Palestinians could also mend their divisions. (dpa)