Speaking to reporters, Haniya welcomed a call from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for inter-Palestinian dialogue made at a four-way Middle East summit in Egypt late on Monday.

"We warmly welcome the call for dialogue made by President Mubarak to the Palestinian people. We think this call mirrors a good understanding of the complexities of the situation, which can be resolved only through dialogue.

"From now on we have made it known we are ready for dialogue," added Haniya, who has refused to step down from his position despite Abbas's unceremonious sacking of him and his Hamas-led government on June 14.

Mubarak made a call for inter-Palestinian dialogue to mend the rift at the summit of Middle East leaders including Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

"Our deliberations today affirmed the parallel need to end disagreements, and unify the Palestinian ranks through dialogue," the Egyptian leader said.

"The resumption of dialogue between all the children of Palestine, and the achievement of a common position that speaks for its people and its cause, is an immediate requirement that can bear no delay," he added.

More than 110 people were killed in the factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah which effectively destroyed a 15-month-old Hamas-led government and split the Palestinians into two rival entities in Gaza and the West Bank.

Meanwhile, international Middle East negotiators yesterday searched for ways to revive peace talks after Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip, and US officials said they were expected to name outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a senior envoy.

The gathering of the so-called Quartet of Middle East peace makers came a day after the Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders held a summit in a unified stance against Hamas.

Representatives of the Quartet the US, EU, UN and Russia met for nearly three hours at the American Consulate in Jerusalem.

Heading into the meeting, UN spokesman said the envoys had "no set agenda" and would discuss "recent developments and the way forward." The talks were the first by the Quartet since Hamas took control of Gaza, a development that has complicated peace prospects. The Islamic militant Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction.

Participants left without releasing details of the talks.