Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)'s chief Khaled Mashaal Thursday signed a agreement on forming a national unity government following three days of intensive and marathon dialogues held in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The agreement consists of four major points. The first is a prohibition of shedding the Palestinian blood (ending all kinds of fighting), the second is formation of a national unity government.

The third and fourth points in the agreement are related to the formation of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and also manifesting the political partnership among all Palestinian powers and factions.

Abbas' media advisor Nabil Amr read the agreement ahead of the signature in the ceremony attended by Saudi King Saudi King Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Aziz and Saudi officials.

"We reached a final agreement on forming a national unity government, and we agreed to start soon constitutional measures to form it as soon as the leaders of the two movements get back to the Palestinian territories," Amr said.

Abbas asked current Prime Minister Ismail Haneya to form the new government, according to a letter of designation read out by Amr.

"After reading the Palestinian basic law, I (Abbas) designates you (Haneya) to form the upcoming Palestinian government within a certain period of time, then to be approved by the president and by the Palestinian parliament," said Abbas' letter of designation.

"I call you to be committed to the highest interests of the Palestinian people and protect their rights according to the decisions of the previous National Council and the Arab summits," Abbas said.

He also called on Haneya to "respect the legitimate international resolutions and the agreements that Palestine Liberation Organization had signed."

The deal on cabinet portfolios will see former Culture Minister Ziad Abu Amr nominated as foreign minister and Salam Fayyad as finance minister, a post he has held before.

Hamas and Fatah officials confirmed the names. Hamas is expected to suggest a neutral figure for the interior post. All three portfolios have been in Hamas hands since it won elections last year.

Under the deal, Fatah would take five minor cabinet portfolios and Hamas would take eight including economy, labor and justice.

They agreed on nominees for the finance and foreign affairs portfolios, according to sources from Hamas and Fatah faction. The interior ministry will also go to an independent but the two sides have yet to agree on a candidate, they said.

Hamas, calling for the destruction of Israel, took the rein of the Palestinian government last March after defeating long-dominant Fatah movement in last legislative elections.

But Hamas-led government has been isolated by the international community because it refused to renounce violence, recognize Israel and respect previous peace accords, three demands rolled out by the Quartet on the Middle East comprising the UN, the EU, the US and Russia.

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily February 9, 2007)