The Palestinian president and prime minister, who head rival movements, failed again Monday to agree on a joint government that might lead to lifting Western sanctions that have bankrupted their administration, but they planned to keep trying. President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate, and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas met in Gaza for more than two hours, but officials said the talks ended with no accord on a national unity government made up of independent experts. Both sides said talks would continue today; they would not say what issues remain open. Mustafa Barghouti, an independent politician playing a key role in the talks, called the meeting "fruitful." He said, "There was agreement on some issues, but some issues still need to be discussed."