RAMALLAH, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) ¨C Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will travel to Gaza where Prime Minister Ismail Haneya would announce the resignation of the Hamas-led government following a deal to form a new unity one, a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) member said on Monday.

    Yasser Abed Rabou, however, did not say exactly when Abbas would arrive in Gaza, but expected this would be soon.

    "Prime Minister Haneya will step down according to the agreement," Abed Rabou told the Voice of Palestine radio, adding Abbas would ask "a national independent person to form the new government".

    Earlier on Monday, Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman for the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), announced that the movement had agreed in principle with Abbas on forming a national unity government on condition of keeping the right of choosing the prime minister.

    Minister of Prisoners Affairs Wassfi Qabha confirmed that the new prime minister would be from the Gaza Strip, adding another agreement on the percentage of every faction in the new government has been made.

    The new prime minister has not been selected yet, but Palestinian observers believe he would be an independent person close to Hamas.

    It has been agreed that Hamas would choose the prime minister because of its parliamentary majority.

    However, Ghazi Hamad, spokesman for the current Hamas-led government, revealed that Hamas has already approved the name of the new head of the upcoming government.

    "The movement (Hamas) would present the name to the Palestinian president then the formation of the new government would be declared," Hamad said, declining to say who the new prime minister is.

    Hamas swept to power after landslide victory in the January parliamentary election. Then the Islamic movement formed the 10th Palestinian government in late March.

    Since then, the newborn government has been faced with international pressure to recognize Israel and renounce violence, but Hamas pressed on with rejection.

    Consequent sanctions and international boycott have badly affected the Palestinian people, especially their collapsing economy.

    International pressure, along with Israeli military operations, forced the Palestinians to look for a new government with a moderate platform in a bid to resume international aid and funds.

    Meanwhile, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat implicitly held the Hamas-led government responsible for the recent Israeli military operations in northern Gaza Strip that have killed 53 Palestinians so far.

    According to Erekat, Israel was encouraged to go ahead with the offensive because Hamas did not commit itself to the international legitimacy.

    "We need a government with political program in order to get back Arab and international support," Erekat urged.

Hamas agrees with Abbas to form national unity gov't

    GAZA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced early on Monday that it had agreed with President Mahmoud Abbas on forming a national unity government on condition of keeping the right of choosing the prime minister.

    Fawzi Barhoum told reporters in Gaza that the new national unity government "would be declared soon after a meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya." <<