MECCA, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal said on Thursday night that its movement would not break an agreement on forming a national unity government which was just signed by two rival factions in Mecca.

    Mashaal made the remarks after he and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed the landmark agreement to form a coalition government during a ceremony hosted by Saudi King Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Aziz.

    The deal "will unify our movements. There is a commitment and unity. We will preserve this partnership," Mashaal said, adding that it will end factional bloodshed in the Palestinian territories.

    Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya who also attended the signing ceremony, said, "We shall turn a new page" for Palestinian people with unity government.

    The signing ceremony in a palace overlooking the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, were also attended by Saudi King Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Aziz, who sponsored the talks between the two rival factions.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, for his part, asked Haneya of the ruling Hamas movement to form a national unity government after the deal was forged, Qatar-based al-Jazeera English TV reported.

    Meanwhile, in Abbas' address read out by his advisor Nabil Amr, he called on the future government "to respect international law and agreements signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)."

    Under the sponsorship of Saudi King Abdullah, leaders of rival Hamas and Fatah arrived in Mecca on Tuesday for talks and the dialogue was launched on Wednesday morning.

    Earlier on Thursday, the two sides agreed on ministerial posts of a national unity government, a well-informed source close to Hamas told Xinhua.

    The sources said on condition of anonymity that Hamas would get seven portfolios, while Fatah would take six portfolios.

    In addition to the Prime Minister post, Hamas would get the ministries of education, al-Waqf (Islamic property), labor, municipal affairs, sports and youth, Justice and communication.

    Fatah would get health, social affairs, public work, transportation, agriculture and prisoners affairs.

    The source said that both sides also agreed that three independent ministers would be named by Hamas, namely minister of interior, minister of planning and a state minister.

    According to the agreement, Fatah would name two other independent ministers, which are the minister of foreign affairs and a state minister.