A Jordanian Islamist says Jordan has renewed dialogue with the terrorist Hamas group after two years of icy relations.

 Senior Hamas leader, Moussa Abu Marzouk, confirmed the contacts, saying only that they were in "very early stages" and that he hoped they will be a "good start." Jordanian officials did not comment.

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Jamil Abu-Bakr says a "preliminary meeting" recently took place in Amman between the two sides, whose relations soured when Jordan in 2006 arrested three Hamas members for conspiracy to attack Israeli businessmen and Jordanian officials.

Abu-Bakr told The Associated Press that Jordan's intelligence chief Mohammed al-Dahabi and Syria-based exiled Hamas deputy Mohammed Nizar headed the delegations.