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Hamas proposes "government of tasks" to push for unity

Israel Materials 20 April 2009 14:23 (UTC +04:00)

A Hamas official on Monday said his movement proposed the formation of a Palestinian government with specific missions.

"Let's get out of this crisis and form a government of tasks that would not deal with any political issue," said Khalil al- Hayya, a Hamas high-ranking official in Gaza, Xinhua reported.

The new proposal comes as Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement failed to agree on the political program of a government aiming to restore political unity to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Hamas said the "government of tasks" was a development of an earlier Egyptian offer that suggested the formation of a national committee to liaise between the West Bank government and Hamas' isolated administration of Gaza.

The new proposal would be put forward on April 26 when a new round of inter-Palestinian dialogue resumes in Cairo. "The dialogue session can be completed in one hour if Fatah gets rid of external conditions," al-Hayya said.

Fatah said any upcoming government must accept the peace deals in order to enjoy an international recognition but Hamas said such demand means that the government would be clearly recognizing Israel.

In 2007, the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, routed pro- Abbas forces and seized control of the Gaza Strip.

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