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| By israelinsider staff and partners March 15, 2007 |
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Leaders of Hamas and Fatah announced late Wednesday that they have finally reached an agreement on the make-up of the new PA unity government, while renewed factional violence left at least nine people wounded in the northern Gaza Strip, including two children.
According the reports in the Israeli press Thursday, the proposed new Palestinian Authority unity government will be presented for approval to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) on Saturday.
Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas will address the PLC session, during which he is expected to insist that the new government abide by all agreements previously signed with Israel.
According to a Fatah leader, "The president will make it clear that the new government must respect all the agreements that were signed with Israel and abide by all Arab and international resolutions concerning the Palestinian issue," he said, indicating that Abbas will not call on the unity government to fulfill the Quartet's other conditions: that it explicitly recognize Israel and renounce terrorism and violence.
The Hamas-dominated PLC is expected to approve the government, which will be the 11th Palestinian government since the establishment of the PA in 1994.
This is one of the conditions set by the so-called Quartet of nations in order for international sanctions against the PA to be lifted. The United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia -- who comprise this Quartet -- have said they will wait and see how the new PA turns out before saying how they feel about it.
However, some Quartet members have already been arguing for more positive relations with the PA's Hamas component even if it doesn't comply.
The Associated Press reports that a top Abbas aide pushed the international community to give the government a chance despite reservations about Hamas.
Soon after the announcement about the agreement, Fatah and Hamas gunmen began ifghting in Bet Lahiya in Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported.
A Fatah member died Thursday of wounds from the gunbattle, Palestinian security officials claimed.
The officials said the violence started when Hamas gunmen began firing at an Aksa Martyrs Brigades commander's car.
Samih al-Madhoun, the commander, escaped the car without any injuries and then proceeded to kidnap three Hamas terrorists who happened to be nearby.
Hamas responded in kind by kidnapping four Fatah members.
Jerusalem Newswire contributed to this article. |
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