Last update - 00:00 19/11/2006
Abbas, Haniyeh meet on new PA gov't; no progress reported
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met with Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas for another round of talks on a unity government, but no progress was reported, officials said.
The two met late Friday in Gaza City. Abbas' office said the two leaders agreed to hold more talks.
Among other things, Abbas expects the new government to accept a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, the U.S.-drafted road map for peace, and the so-called prisoner's document. The document, penned by Palestinians in Israeli jails, calls for a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines, and endorses attacks on Israelis only within the West Bank and Gaza.
The document also recognizes the PLO as the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and calls for Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join its institutions. Hamas agreed to the document in June after amendments.
A senior Palestinian negotiator said Friday that the Hamas-controlled government would resign within two or three days to make way for the new unity government.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar, of Hamas, stressed Friday that the formation of a national unity government hinges on international guarantees to end the boycott against the Palestinian Authority and the siege on the Palestinians.
"Hamas' commitment now is to the prior decision with an international guarantee to lift the siege," Zahar said.