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Palestinian President Reports Agreement on Unity Government
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&ctl=13E5549:A6F02AD83191E160A45493A52A5D21B49574F7DCC14957C0 Fatah party head
says agreement reached after meetings with Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says an agreement has been
reached with Hamas to form a unity government.







Mahmoud Abbas right, meets with Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza City, MondayThe
head of the Fatah party said Monday in Gaza City the agreement was
reached after meetings with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is the
prime minister.

Earlier, the prime minister said he had made progress in talks with
President Abbas on forming a unity government.

Mr. Haniyeh said Sunday he expects to keep his post as prime minister
in a unity government. Palestinians hope formation of such a coalition
will persuade Western nations to lift economic sanctions imposed when
Hamas came to power six months ago.

It remains unclear whether Hamas will accept international demands to
renounce violence, recognize Israel and honor past agreements by the
Palestinian Authority.

Separately, an Israeli court has convicted a Jewish settler from the
West Bank of murdering four Palestinians last year in an attempt to
derail Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.

A court in Jerusalem heard that the man deliberately shot four
Palestinians to death at close range. All the victims worked at the
same factory as their killer, in the Shilo settlement.

An Israeli human rights group says Israeli security forces in the West
Bank have failed to properly investigate Palestinian complaints of
violence by Jewish settlers.

The group says 90 percent of Palestinian complaints filed in 2005 were
closed without charges being filed.


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