Islamist group Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in June, leaving Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah forces in a weakened position, controlling only the West Bank.
"The Palestinian problem is the root of the region-wide conflict. We believe that the peace process in the Middle East should not be held hostage to the intra-Palestinian crisis," Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Egyptian weekly Al Ahram.
The minister said the series of meetings held in recent months between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had formed a basis for productive peace talks.
Israel has thrown its support behind the Palestinian leader since the Hamas coup, and is set to release almost 90 Palestinian prisoners, mainly Fatah fighters, early next week in a bid to bolster support for Abbas. The president also has the support of the U.S. and 'moderate' Arab states, including Egypt, which often plays host to Palestinian-Israeli talks.
Abbas met with United States President George W. Bush on Monday, along with Middle East envoy Tony Blair. At the talks, the Palestinian leader expressed his support for the U.S.-proposed Mideast peace conference to be held in November, and said it must lay the groundwork for a permanent status agreement with Israel to ensure long-term peace.
The Egyptian foreign minister said: "We welcome the international meeting on the Mideast proposed by the United States, which could prove a serious step towards regulating the conflict."
"Egypt hopes that at the international meeting, the sides will reach specific agreements enabling peace to be established throughout the region," he said.
Israel moved to further isolate Hamas last Wednesday, declaring the Gaza strip an "enemy entity," threatening fuel and power supply cuts, and later imposing financial sanctions against the impoverished enclave, home to 1.5 million.
However, the Egyptian diplomat said that improved living conditions in both the West Bank and Gaza, and economic unity between the two regions, were essential elements of the peace process.
