Report: Hamas presents Abbas with terms for unity government
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
Senior Hamas officials spelled out their terms for the possible formation of a unity government in a meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, according to a report appearing in Thursday's edition of the official Palestinian daily Al-Ayam.
According to the newspaper, Hamas demanded that it maintain the post of prime minister and that the ministerial positions be filled in proportion to the parliamentary strength of the respective factions, thereby giving Hamas a majority in the government.
The PA's official diplomatic platform would be based on the Prisoner's Document. The Islamic movement is also demanding that the establishment of a unity government would signal the end of the international community's policy of isolating the Hamas-led PA.
Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh (Hamas) agreed Wednesday night to launch talks on forming the new unity government. Nonetheless, Hamas officials say no unity government will ever be put in place as long as ministers and legislators from the movement remain in Israeli prisons.
Also Thursday, Abbas said that Palestinian factions have agreed to halt all acts that could invite Israeli aggression. Militants quickly denied his claim.
At a meeting Wednesday, all militias agreed to cease "all actions that, by their nature, give others an excuse to attack us," Abbas said in a speech before a new crop of presidential guards.
But Abu Obeidah, a spokesman for Hamas' military wing, said no such agreement had been reached.