RAMALLAH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Acting Prime Minister of the Palestinian caretaker government Salam Fayyad had secretly met with senior leaders of Hamas movement in the West Bank, well-informed sources said Wednesday.

    The Bethlehem-based independent Maan News Agency quoted the sources as saying that Fayyad had held recently secret talks with Hamas members on the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).

    The sources said that Fayyad met in Ramallah with Hamas delegation headed by Nasser el-Dein al-Sha'er, the former deputy prime minister of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya.

    "The meeting discussed the internal Palestinian situation and seeking ways to activate the inter-Palestinian dialogue mainly between rival Fatah and Hamas movements," the sources told Maan News Agency.

    Last summer, following weeks of bloody fighting between Fatah and Hamas, the latter took control of the Gaza Strip by force and routed President Mahmoud Abbas security forces.

    After Hamas' takeover of the enclave, Abbas sacked Haneya and his national unity government and asked Fayyad to form a caretaker government, however, Haneya and his Hamas movement rejected Abbas decree.

    Since then, Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and Fatah movement, President Abbas and Fayyad rule the West Bank.