Xinhua - English

Special report: Internal situation in Palestine

GAZA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- An agreement on a Palestinian unity government is expected to be reached by representatives of political factions by the end of January in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Palestinian news agency Sama reported on Sunday.

The report said that "a number of Arab countries, mainly Jordan, have pledged to lift the siege on Palestinians as soon as the new government is announced."

"The new government is likely to enjoy international acceptance and legitimacy," a source who speaks on condition of anonymity was quoted by Sama as saying.

Meanwhile, local al-Ayyam daily newspaper reported that a progress was made between factions, mainly the governing Hamas and rival Fatah, on distributing the portfolios of four key ministries of the coming government.

But the daily said an agreement had yet to be reached despite the progress. If an agreement was reached, President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah would have meet the exiled Hamas' politburo chief Khaled Mashaal later this month to put the final touches on the deal.

Fawzi Barhoom, spokesman for Hamas, told reporters that the portfolio issue would not block the way towards forming the coalition government, adding his movement was willing to resume talks.

The unity government talks, which had lasted for months, collapsed late last year over disagreements on who would hold the key portfolios and Hamas' refusal to bend to Western demands of renouncing violence, recognizing Israel and honoring past peace deals.

An internationally acceptable new unity government is intended as a remedy to help end economic and political crises triggered by international sanctions imposed on the Hamas-led government due to its rejection of the Western demands.

Abbas had called for holding early elections following the collapse of talks with Hamas, which triggered bloody clashes between supporters of the rival movements of Hamas and Fatah.

Abbas' early election call could be automatically written off by an agreement between the factions on forming the new government.

GAZA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Forming a national unity government will end all forms of internal fighting, spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government Ghazi Hamad said on Sunday.

An agreement on a unity government and its program can end all the suffering of the Palestinian people and "put the train back on its track," Hamad said.