US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Photo: AFP
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Photo: AFP
Rice meets Abbas in Ramallah
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Meeting taking place in shadow of growing violence between Fatah and Hamas in Palestinian Authority
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday afternoon. The two are discussing the situation in the Palestinian Authority and the renewal of dialogue with Israel.
Earlier, Abbas announced, "The conversations with Hamas about the establishment of a national unity government are no longer progressing." He even hinted that the government and parliament are likely to be disbanded.
"We are serious about our plan to establish a new unity government. We will see where things are going in the next two weeks and by then we will decide how to act. I will use my constitutional authorities when the time is right," he told reporters at the Muqataa, accompanied by Bahrain's foreign minister.
Before arriving in the region, Rice called the Palestinian factions to cooperate with President Abbas.
Hamas is making preparations to intensify the conflict with Fatah in the West Bank. Violent confrontations between Fatah and Hamas have continued in the West Bank. Near Qalqilya, a political activist from the Hamas faction was assassinated at point blank range.
Palestinian sources in the government, but not from Hamas have said to Ynet that the movement has transferred hundreds of weapons to people in the West Bank within the framework of accelerating the building of the movement's military army.
According to the same sources, at least 600 new weapons were have been brought to activists in the West Bank, including automatic rifles and different times bombshells. Within the Palestinian Authority the sentiment is that Hamas will not allow the government to be toppled.
