Hamas, Jihad to hold 'in-depth dialogue'

The leader of Gaza's government Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday called for an in-depth dialogue between his Hamas party and Islamic Jihad, an official said. Muhammad al-Hindi, an Islamic Jihad leader, said the two sides hoped to unify the Palestinian resistance forces. He said this was an Islamic and national duty. He said bringing the two sides into closer cooperation was important due to the uprisings across the Arab world, which the factions hope to give a more "Islamic dimension." Al-Hindi praised Haniyeh's call and said talks were already underway at home and abroad. The dialogue comes amid reports of tension between the two groups. Iran is said to have decreased its support for Hamas in light of the group's failure to publicly back Syria's embattled regime.