Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called for unity of the Palestinians before a scheduled meeting on Saturday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who arrived in Cairo on Friday afternoon.

Egypt maintains contact with all Palestinian factions to bridge gaps among them, Mubarak was quoted as saying in an interview with an Egyptian weekly newspaper by the official MENA news agency.

Mubarak said that a three-way summit bringing together Mubarak, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert could be convened anytime.

Egypt intends to build mutual confidence between the Palestinians and Israel to push the peace process forward, Mubarak said.

Egypt is also trying to help dispatch humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, Mubarak added.

Olmert said after a summit with Mubarak in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on June 4 that he intended to meet Abbas and that negotiations with the Palestinians were Israel's priority.

The European Union -- the biggest aid donor to the Palestinians-- and the United States both suspended direct aid to the Palestinian National Authority after Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) won January elections, while Israel has also blocked the transfer of revenues, causing acute Palestinian financial crisis.

The Hamas-led government has resisted massive pressure to renounce violent resistance, recognize Israel's right to exist and abide by signed peace deals with Israel since it was sworn in late March.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17)