Spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government said on
Saturday Prime Minister Ismail Haneya and President Mahmoud Abbas
were likely to meet this week in Gaza.
Spokesman Ghazi Hamad told reporters that Abbas was expected to
arrive in Gaza before Thursday and discuss with Haneya about the
forming of the proposed government of national unity.
Abbas and Haneya reached an initial agreement on forming the
coalition government based on the Prisoners' Document of National
Accordance, which calls for establishment of a Palestinian state
alongside Israel, to replace the incumbent Hamas-led one.
The move was seen as an effort to get the Palestinian territory
out of an economic and political crisis triggered by the West and
Israel's cutting off of direct aid due to the ruling Hamas' refusal
to meet the conditions of recognizing Israel, renouncing violence
and respecting previous agreements signed with Israel.
The talks was suspended last month, when Abbas left for New York
to attend meetings of UN General Assembly.
Speaking before Hamas supporters on Friday, Haneya called on
Abbas to come to Gaza to continue the talks, which to some extent
lapsed into a stalemate as Hamas remains adamant on its stance of
refusing to recognize Israel.
Hamad said that only a serious meeting between the two leaders
could put an end to the internal crisis in the Palestinian
territories and subsequent clashes between members of Fatah and
Hamas.
Hamas also called for a meeting of reconciliation between the
rival movements of Fatah and Hamas.
Tension between Fatah and Hamas mounted after talks on the unity
government stalled as Fatah accused Hamas of reneging on previous
agreements.
(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2006)
