Special report: Internal situation in Palestine     

    LUXEMBOURG, June 18 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana announced on Monday that the EU will resume direct aid to the Palestinians in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' emergency cabinet.

    Solana made the announcement when speaking to reporters upon his arrival here for a meeting of EU foreign ministers, who are preparing for the EU summit scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Brussels.

    The foreign ministers will hold discussions on a wide range of issues, including a new EU treaty, the Middle East situation, the Iranian nuclear issue and the deadlocked Doha round talks of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

    When asked if the EU would end an aid embargo on the Palestinians imposed when Hamas came to power in March 2006, Solana said "we have to continue helping the Palestinian people and cannot let them down at this moment."

    "It is very important that he (Abbas) is able to construct a budget and through that budget he will be able to help both people in Gaza and the West Bank," he added.

    Solana's latest gesture came after Israel announced it would release frozen tax revenues collected from Palestinian workers. Earlier, the United States has said it would lift a ban on direct aid to Abbas' government this week.

    Solana also said that the part of the EU direct aid will go through the account established by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of the Palestinian emergency government when he was finance minister.

    The Palestinian emergency government held its first meeting in Ramallah on Monday, while the sacked Hamas government met in the Gaza Strip.

    The Fayyad government was formed three days after the militant group Hamas took control of the Gaza strip from the Fatah movement, which prompted Abbas to dismantle the Hamas-Fatah unity government and announce a state of emergency in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Palestinian emergency gov't sworn in

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R5), the new Prime Minister Sallam Fayyad (R4) and other members of the Palestinian emergency government take a group photo after the swearing in ceremony in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 17, 2007. (Xinhua Photo/Guo Lei) Photo Gallery>>>

    RAMALLAH, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is swearing in the Palestinian emergency government in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday.

    The official Palestinian Television showed 11 ministers,including two women, took their oath before President Abbas and new Prime Minister Sallam Fayyad one by one with their hand on the Holy Book of Quran. Full story

Hamas outlawed by President Abbas

 RAMALLAH, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday announced the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and its affiliated groups are outlawed.

    By issuing a presidential decree, Abbas banned Hamas-dominated Executive Force and other Hamas-linked groups. Full story