Special report: Internal situation in Palestine
Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault

    GAZA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Talks on forming a Palestinian national unity government resumed on Thursday, one day after Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas suspended the talks, a mediator said.

    Mustafa al-Barghouti, an independent lawmaker who mediated between Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas, said that "talks on forming a national unity government resumed and they were in full swing."

    Al-Barghouti said that progress has been made and most of controversial points have been settled, adding a general agreement has been achieved on outlines of a new government and detailed were under discussions.

    He said that a new cabinet would be declared in two weeks. Earlier, a spokesman for Abbas said that it was very close to announcing a national unity government.

    Haneya suspended the talks in the wake of a deadly Israeli artillery bombardment on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun on Wednesday.