RAMALLAH - A meeting between the top leaders of Palestinian factions, scheduled on Tuesday in Cairo, has been postponed due to big differences between the two sides, A Palestinian official said Sunday.

The meeting was scheduled to include Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Khaled Mashaal of Hamas.

"The two movements have agreed to look for a new date for the meeting," said Azzam Al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah's Central Committee.

The differences are high over the nature of the prime minister who will lead a unity government that Fatah party agreed to form with Islamic Hamas movement last month, sources said earlier.

The sources said that Egypt sponsored contacts between Hamas and Fatah to bridge the gap, but these contacts did not succeed.

Meanwhile, a Hamas official, Salah Al-Bardaweel, said that his movement will consult with its leaders before commenting on Al- Ahmad's remarks.

Abbas nominated Salam Fayyad, the West Bank-based current prime minister, to lead the new government, but Hamas refuses, since it considers Fayyad part of the Palestinian split.

Fayyad is acceptable to the international community and Abbas pushes him to avoid possible isolation or sanctions on a government that would be backed by Hamas. The West sees Hamas as a terrorist organization.

The Egyptian-brokered agreement aims to end the political split between Gaza and the West Bank, started when Hamas routed pro- Abbas forces and took over Gaza in 2007.