The Hamas-led Palestinian government has accepted an invitation by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah for talks with rival faction Fatah in the holy city of Mecca.
"We welcome the invitation by His Majesty King Abdullah and the government appreciates this generous position, which comes in an attempt to resolve Palestinian internal differences," Palestinian Foreign Ministry spokesman Taher An-Nono said.
Earlier today, King Abdullah invited Palestinian leaders to discuss their differences in Mecca, home to Islam's holiest shrine.
"I invite them all ... for an urgent meeting in brotherly Saudi Arabia at the sacred house of God (Mecca's Grand Mosque) to discuss disputes in a neutral (environment) without intervention from any other side" the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted King Abdullah as saying.
Earlier, Al Arabiya television said King Abdullah had invited Palestinian groups to hold talks in Mecca "without foreign intervention".