WORLD> Middle East
Rival Fatah, Hamas want national unity government
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-04 21:55

Fatah leader Abdallah Abu Samhadana said the secular Palestinian faction wants "a new Palestinian government that reunites the West Bank and Gaza, end the current political split and end more than a year and a half of a blockade on Gaza."

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Meanwhile, senior Fatah leader and chief of the Palestinian delegation to the dialogue in Cairo, Nabil Shaath revealed that the comprehensive dialogue would be launched in Cairo on November 4.

Shaath told the Egyptian weekly "October" Magazine in an interview published on Saturday that his movement accepts the proposal to form with Hamas a national unity government which will be recognized by the Arabs and the world.

"The mission of this government will focus on rebuilding of the Palestinian security apparatuses and preparation for presidential and legislative elections," said Shaath, without referring to forming a technocrat government.

On Saturday, deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said talks between Egyptian officials and Palestinian leaders were a " scout round," hoping it will lead to launching an inter- Palestinian dialogue.

"We hope our talks with the Egyptians would be deep and serious and that the scout round opens the door for a real Palestinian dialogue without foreign conditions," Haneya said in Gaza.

Haneya said Hamas officials in Cairo will "review the Palestinian situation in-depth to make use of the previous experiences so the dialogue will not come up with shallow results."

He was referring to earlier agreements between Hamas and Fatah, especially the Mecca accord in 2007 that stipulated the formation of a unity government.