Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ruled out peace talks with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas according to a report on Israel Radio based on a leak from a closed door session between Netanyahu and Israeli ambassadors. The report comes as Mahmoud ‘Abbas, representing Fatah and the Palestinian Authority, is in talks with Khaled Mashal, the head of Hamas, to iron out issues that have prevented the two factions from forming a unity government. A reconciliation agreement announced last May remains unfulfilled and the Fatah-Hamas bifurcation remains the greatest impediment to Palestinian statehood. Elections have been set for May, but key issues including control of security forces continue to prevent the reconciliation from being consummated.