Fatah movement accepted an Egyptian proposal to delay general Palestinian elections to allow for more time for achieving Palestinian reconciliation, a Fatah official said Tuesday.

The Egyptian proposal calls for holding general Palestinian elections by the middle of next year so as to boost reconciliation between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and the Islamic Hamas movement.

"Fatah has told Egypt that its proposal has been accepted," Abdullah Abdullah, a member of Fatah revolutionary council, told Xinhua.

"The Egyptian document stressed that the elections must be held by the middle of next year and this gives the factions more flexibility to set a suitable date for holding the elections," Abdullah said.

Abbas had called for the elections on Jan. 25, 2010 when Hamas' term in the parliament expires. Hamas won the parliament elections in 2006.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, promised to respond to the Egyptian initiative after the end of Muslim's fasting month of Ramadan.

Since February, Egypt has hosted several rounds of inter-Palestinian dialogue but the factions failed to agree on the outstanding issues that include the elections, reforming of the security services and the program of a unity government.