Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said that there has been no
progress in talks with the Hamas party on the formation of a National
Unity Government. He told the Qatar based Al Jazeera TV that he is
willing to form a unity government based on the Detainees' Document in
spite of the differences.
Abbas added that all parties, including Hamas, are serious in their talks and willingness to form a government in order to end the political and economical beige imposed on the Palestinian, and called on all parties to return to internal talks.
Regarding his possible meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, Abbas stated that he is willing to meet Olmert without preconditions but said that such a meeting should be well prepared in order to no turn out as just another public relations meeting.
Abbas denied news that hinted that Qatar is attempting to facilitate a meeting between him and the Hamas political bureau chief in Syria, Khaled Mashal.
Meanwhile, Ismail Radwan, one of the Hamas leaders, said on Friday that Hamas had accepted the Detainee's Document and is determined to form a National Unity Government, but Abbas's advisor and Fateh spokesperson, Ahmad Abdul-Rahman, said that Hamas did not accept the National Unity Document, adding that Hamas has no other option rather than recognizing the Palestinian Liberation Organization as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, accepting the detainees' document and that Hamas should recognize Israel in return of Israeli recognition of the Palestinian legitimate rights.
On Friday, thousands of residents protested after noon prayers on Friday in support of the Palestinian government. “Yes for hunger, no for surrender”, the protesters chanted and said that they prefer to suffer rather than recognizing the “any enemy state on their land”.
