Mahmud Abbas (file photo) (RFE/RL)
August 26, 2006 -- Representatives of Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement and the Hamas militant group today reached an agreement to form a national unity government.
Fatah leader Nabil Shaath said after three days of talks between the
two Palestinian factions in the capital of Jordan, Amman, that Fatah
now seeks to create a government with Hamas.
Shaath said a national unity government "will strengthen our hands to face the Israeli occupation."
Fatah lost to Hamas in the January general elections.
Reuters news agency quoted "leaders" of Fatah as saying there would be
no conditions for joining a coalition government with Hamas, but
insisted there had to be a pragmatic approach to resuming peace talks
with Israel.
Meanwhile, Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian
government, said today that two kidnapped journalists who work for the
U.S. Fox News network are "fine and not harmed."
Threatening unspecified consequences, kidnappers who said they were
from the previously unknown Holy Jihad Brigades set a deadline for the
United States to release all Muslims held in U.S. custody.
That deadline passed earlier today, but Hamad's comments indicated the two were still alive.
Hamad said he expects "good news" about the kidnapped journalists
within two days. Hamad did not explain his reasons for those comments
or how he knew the two were still alive.
Olaf Wiig, a freelance cameraman from New Zealand, and producer Steve
Centanni from the United States were kidnapped on August 14. On August
23 their captors released a video of the two and a statement with the
demand to release all Muslims in U.S. jails.
(AP, AFP, Reuters)
two Palestinian factions in the capital of Jordan, Amman, that Fatah
now seeks to create a government with Hamas.
Shaath said a national unity government "will strengthen our hands to face the Israeli occupation."
Fatah lost to Hamas in the January general elections.
Reuters news agency quoted "leaders" of Fatah as saying there would be
no conditions for joining a coalition government with Hamas, but
insisted there had to be a pragmatic approach to resuming peace talks
with Israel.
Meanwhile, Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian
government, said today that two kidnapped journalists who work for the
U.S. Fox News network are "fine and not harmed."
Threatening unspecified consequences, kidnappers who said they were
from the previously unknown Holy Jihad Brigades set a deadline for the
United States to release all Muslims held in U.S. custody.
That deadline passed earlier today, but Hamad's comments indicated the two were still alive.
Hamad said he expects "good news" about the kidnapped journalists
within two days. Hamad did not explain his reasons for those comments
or how he knew the two were still alive.
Olaf Wiig, a freelance cameraman from New Zealand, and producer Steve
Centanni from the United States were kidnapped on August 14. On August
23 their captors released a video of the two and a statement with the
demand to release all Muslims in U.S. jails.
(AP, AFP, Reuters)