Mubarak encourages talks between Israel and Hamas

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak expressed an interest on Sunday to renew negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. In an al-Arabiya interview, he noted that he scheduled to meet Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert after the Israeli government was formed. He also mentioned that he would speak with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Mubarak asserted that Hamas' statements rejecting the possibility of accepting Israel were spoken solely for internal purposes.