Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he still hoped militant group Hamas would take part in a national unity government despite it saying it would not.
Hamas rejected an invitation on Monday to join the Palestinian cabinet, ignoring Mr Abbas's call for a unity government to help him control Gaza after Israel's pullout in mid-August.
"We have offered to Palestinian movements to take part . . . we hope they will. We still did not hear the official answer from our brethren in Hamas," Mr Abbas told reporters after arriving in the Syrian capital Damascus.
"This is a national matter in which all have interest, therefore we should all participate."
Mr Abbas is expected soon to meet Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal and officials from Islamic Jihad and other factions.
Bringing in Hamas, which commands considerable grassroots support in the Gaza Strip, would help Mr Abbas keep order during the pullout and avoid a security vacuum afterwards.
A Palestinian source said that Hamas might propose the creation of a panel of Palestinian factions to oversee the withdrawal until a long-term solution emerges. Hamas officials were not immediately available for comment.