YEMEN: Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal speaks about national unity as factional fighting continues in Gaza

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal expresses hope that a unity government will be formed shortly. Palestinian Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal was in Yemen on Saturday (March 10). At a news conference in Sanaa, the Hamas leader blamed the United States for hindering Palestinian peace efforts. ''The American administration is working towards the Zionist position. Rice and others are aiming to make the Mecca talks fail by focusing on the conditions of the Quartet," Meshaal said, adding that he hoped the international community would give Palestinians a chance to fulfil their national rights and "allow them to choose their own destiny". The Islamist Hamas and the Fatah group of U.S.-backed President Mahmoud Abbas reached an agreement last month in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to form a unity government, to try end Palestinian infighting. The Mecca deal contains a vague promise to "respect" Israeli-Palestinian pacts but does does not commit the incoming government to abide by those pacts, nor to it recognising Israel and renouncing violence. The Quartet of Middle East mediators -- the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations -- has called for a future government to renounce violence, accept Israel's right to exist, and recognise past peace accords. Meshaal said he hoped "an end to the siege and recognition of a national government, which everyone is willing to work with" would be achieved soon. His remarks came as Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas announced a unity government would be announced in the next few days. Haniyeh said once the government was formed, he and Abbas would travel together to Saudi Arabia for a summit aimed at reviving an Arab peace initiative first launched by the host country in 2002. If Abbas and Haniyeh travel together to Saudi Arabia it will be the first time the two men will have appeared side by side together internationally. Abbas is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem on Sunday (March 11), but officials on both sides sought to play down the chances of progress.

ITN Source | March 11, 2007

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