Abbas: Unity government 'back at zero'

Following conversation with Egyptian president, Palestinian President Abbas says national unity talks with Hamas back to square one. Some 3,000 Fatah activists, Palestinian government workers in Gaza protest Hamas government's policy, which they claim is causing anarchy in PA to worsen

Ali Waked|Last update: 09.23.06 , 17:18

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday that Palestinian efforts to forge a national unity government were back at square one.

Speaking to reporters after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, Abbas accused Hamas of reneging on a number of agreements with Fatah.

"Unfortunately after this agreement was signed there were regressions from it...And unfortunately we are back to point zero, and we will examine the issue anew," Abbas said.

On Friday a close aide to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Hamas would not join the planned coalition government if recognizing Israel was a precondition.

Haniyeh's political adviser, Ahmed Yousef said instead of recognizing Israel, Hamas was prepared to agree to a "long-term truce for five or 10 years, until the occupation withdraws." He was unclear on what Hamas would do if coalition talks break down.

Protestors demand Haniyeh resign

Demonstrations in Gaza Strip against and in favor of Hamas government continue: After the Hamas movement held protests in the past few days in favor of the Palestinian government, 3,000 Fatah members and government employees hit the streets of Gaza, calling on Abbas to force the government to meet its and pay their salaries.

Some of the demonstrators called on Prime Minister Haniyeh to resign.

The fatah members, among them al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades gunmen, called on Abbas to use his power and put the interior minister, who they claimed was responsible for the security deterioration and the worsening anarchy, in his place.

They also demanded the government be forced to meet the international demands so that the economic siege on the Palestinian Authority is lifted and the salaries of the Palestinian government workers, who have been on strike since the beginning of the month, are paid.

Contrary to earlier protests held by the striking government employees, Saturday’s rally carried more of a political character as Fatah constituents demanded that those responsible for the murder of a senior General Intelligence Agency official and his four guards Last Thursday be handed over. Fatah members claimed the assassins were Hamas operatives, and charged the organization was practicing a policy of political assassinations. Hamas’ military wing denied all involvement in the affair.

On Saturday Hamas’ armed wing issued a statement declaring that the group would quash any efforts by Fatah to lead an uprising to oust the democratically elected Hamas government.