Hamas leader asks Pales Mahmoud Abbas to meet

A senior Hamas leader said Friday he has asked Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to meet within two days to discuss the formation of the next government. The leader, Ismail Haniyeh, told worshippers at a mosque in a Gaza refugee camp that he spoke to Abbas earlier Friday."We asked him to meet within the coming two days to consult with Hamas, the largest party in the Palestinian legislature, about the shape of the political partnership for the next era and about all the Palestinian people's issues and topics," Haniyeh said.

The meeting would have to take place in Gaza because Haniyeh would not be permitted by Israel to travel to the West Bank, the Palestinians' seat of government.

He spoke a day after official election results gave Hamas 76 seats in the 132-member Palestinian parliament, reports the AP. I.L.