RAMALLAH, Feb. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that a new Palestinian cabinet will be announced in 24 hours.

    After a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, Abbas said that the Palestinian Legislative Council would call for a session to confirm the new cabinet within two days.

    Well-informed sources said that the new cabinet will include 23 ministers, nine of them new faces, while 11 ministers will keep their portfolios and three others will take new posts.

    Brig. Nasser Youssif will be the minister of the interior instead of Hakam Balawi, and Mohammed Dahlan will hold his old post as minister of interior security.

    Nasser el-Qedwa, representative of the Palestinian National Authority in the United Nations, will hold the post of foreign minister to replace Nabil Shaath. Nabil Amro will hold the post of information minister.

    Abbas Zaki, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, will be minister of higher education, and Rafik el-Natcha will hold the post of labor minister. Enditem