At a late-night press conference, Haniyeh said, "The Hamas' presence in the government is the decision of the Palestinian people. Unilateral decisions, made without cooperation or coordination, do not suit the current situation," Haniyeh said.
"Abbas' decision was hasty, and it seems his advisors did not fully consider its consequences," he added.
Haniyeh also sent a message of appeasement and called on Hamas members to have mercy on the Fatah members being held as prisoners. He promised to "continue to act toward imposing order in the Gaza Strip and protecting public property."
He further noted that the government would set up a new security system that would unite all the PA's security forces to impose order.
"The government will start a process of general appeasement and maintain its relations with the neighboring Arab nations, as well as with the other Palestinian factions," Haniyeh told reporters.
"We will continue to maintain the unity government and its principles, and cooperate with whoever is willing," he said.
"The Gaza Strip is inseparable from the West Bank. There will not be a Palestinian state without the West Bank," he added.
State of emergency
Simultaneous to Haniyeh's speech, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas assembled his security commanders to discuss preparations and plans to establish a state of emergency in the Palestinian Authority.
One of the options considered was the establishment of a military committee that would coordinate the forces' activity during the emergency period.
The Palestinian security forces have already began operating in accordance with the state of emergency declared by Abbas, in large parts of the West Bank.