GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Eight Palestinian political factions have walked out of a reconciliation meeting meant to represent all parties after being told they could not participate because they were not part of the PLO.

Sources who wished to remain anonymous told Ma'an that the Popular Resistance Movement, the Popular Resistance Committees, the Al-Ahrar Movement, Fatah al-Intifada, As-Saiqa and the Popular Struggle Front, were among the parties forbidden from taking part in talks.

Head of the Fatah delegation Azzam al-Ahmad had informed the groups that they could not participate.

“The insistence by Fatah to exclude eight Palestinian factions from reconciliation dialogue, thus denying them their historic role as representatives of the Palestinian people, casts doubt upon Fatah’s attitude to reconciliation," a statement from the Popular Resistance Movement said.

"Such an attitude only maintains a state of disagreement," the statement added.

Fatah and Hamas leaders had met on Sunday and other political parties were to join the Egypt-brokered talks on Tuesday.

The reconciliation accord aims to unite the parties after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, a year after winning national elections.