GAZA CITY, May 1: Power struggles between the Hamas government and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas forced the delay on Monday of a cross-party conference seeking to tackle mounting political and fiscal crises.

Abbas’s office on Saturday sent invitations to various armed factions and the Palestine Liberation Organisation for a May 2-4 forum to discuss the situation, reinforce unity and confront the financial crisis.

But on the eve of the three-day meeting, Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the political committee of Palestinian parliament, said the conference had been shelved given the power struggle between Abbas and the governing Hamas.

“There is a problem about the dialogue with all the parties which must take place at another time,” Abdullah, an MP for Fatah faction, said.—AFP