GAZA: Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh sees hope of unity deal with President Mahmoud Abbas but militants vow to undermine any government which recognises Israel

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Sunday (September 24) he remained hopeful a unity government would be established, brushing aside President Mahmoud Abbas's assertion that talks had to start from scratch. "We will resume the consultations over the formation of a national unity government and I believe that we have gone a long way down the road (toward an agreement). There is a real hope that it will succeed," Haniyeh told reporters. Abbas plans to travel to Gaza on Monday (September 25) or Tuesday (September 26) to resume the talks, which he froze a week ago before attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York, senior aide Saeb Erekat said. Abbas has accused Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders of reneging on an agreement reached earlier this month on a political programme for a unity government that included recognition of interim peace deals with Israel. Palestinians hope the formation of a unity government will prompt Western powers to ease an aid embargo that has increased poverty and lawlessness in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The aid embargo was imposed when Hamas came to power in March to pressure the Islamic militant group to meet three conditions: recognise Israel, renounce violence and abide by interim peace deals. Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres on Thursday (September 21) said that the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would not meet Abbas as long as Hamas refuses to recognise Israel and free an Israeli soldier being held in Gaza. Peres met Abbas on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York to discuss an economic cooperation project, as well as Abbas' efforts to form a national unity government between his Fatah movement and the Islamic militant group Hamas which took power in March after a sweeping election victory. Peres said Abbas was a "leader of peace" and a reliable man, and he added that Hamas "unfortunately is continuing to fire rockets throughout Israel which makes their participation in anything almost impossible." But Haniyeh says his Hamas party holds the same fundamental beliefs as Abbas' Fatah. "The issue is not an issue of the media. The occupation must end, the refugees must return, the prisoners must return to their families, settlements and siege must stop and the Palestinian people should live free on their land, then there can be a position. but talking in the media over these issues will not be useful," Haniyeh said. A breakdown in unity talks could lead to a flare-up in fighting between rival armed factions loyal to Hamas and Abbas's Fatah movement. Hamas trounced Fatah in parliamentary elections in January. In a direct challenge to Abbas, four militant groups threatened to attack any Palestinian unity government that recognises Israel. "Any coming (Palestinian unity) government that recognises Israel and its right to existence will be a legitimate target for us," said Abu Abir, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees. He added, "We will fight it by all means and we will deal with it as an extension of the Zionist occupation." The PRC statement was co-signed by three other militant groups which are part of Fatah but are at odds with Abbas's peace policies.

ITN Source | September 25, 2006

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