Egypt’s army rulers to meet Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to seek ways to ease internal tension

Egypt's military rulers will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to seek ways to ease tension between his Fatah movement and its rival Hamas.

Abbas will hold "important talks" with Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egyptian state news agency MENA said on Saturday.

Egypt sponsored six months of talks between Hamas and Fatah in 2009 that led to a draft pact to form a national unity government. Fatah signed the pact but Hamas refrained, demanding guarantees for international recognition.

Abbas, whose movement still runs affairs in self-ruled areas of the West Bank, said last week he was ready to visit Gaza to end divisions and kick-start a "comprehensive dialogue"

Delegations from Fatah and Hamas visited Cairo last week, meeting with officials from Egypt's intelligence agency, the foreign ministry and the Arab League.

The army now runs Egypt after an uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak on February 11.