GAZA CITY, 20 March 2006 — Hamas yesterday presented the list of a 24-member Palestinian Cabinet to President Mahmoud Abbas. The list included a woman and one Christian.
Officials from Abbas’ Fatah faction said he would not try to block parliamentary approval of the government but would issue a letter detailing his reservations about its policies.
Moderate parties had come under US pressure to shun an administration led by Hamas, which has rejected demands that it recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept interim peace accords — conditions for continued Western aid.
Abbas said before meeting Haniyeh that Parliament would convene soon for a vote of confidence in the new government.
Earlier, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said it would not join a Hamas-led government. “We have informed our brothers in Hamas about our decision which comes after final consultations with the leadership inside and outside Palestine and in the jails,” Jamil Majdalawi, one of the party’s three deputies, said.
Majdalawi said the stumbling block had been Hamas’ failure to recognize the supremacy of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in its program of government. While the PFLP is a member of the PLO, Hamas has never joined the organization.
“They make no clear announcement in their program that confirms that the PLO is the high representative of the Palestinian people,” said Majdalawi.
A spokesman for Hamas highlighted the movement’s frustration over the refusal of the PFLP to join the government. “We were surprised by this decision. We were expecting our brothers in the PFLP to participate because we agreed on the program from the beginning,” Salah Bardawil, a Hamas lawmaker, said.
Meanwhile, Israel, Palestinian and US negotiators yesterday failed to resolve a border crossing crisis that has caused shortages of vital food products in Gaza, but Palestinians were hopeful that the main cargo crossings could be opened after meetings today.
The vital Karni cargo crossing between Israel and Gaza has been closed for most of the past two months, shutting down almost all exports and imports from the poverty-stricken seaside territory. Palestinians charge Israel is punishing them for the Hamas victory. The lengthy shutdown has led to shortages of flour and milk, among other products, and bakeries are closing, the United Nations said.
A participant in the meeting yesterday afternoon at the home of US Ambassador Richard Jones, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said a solution was emerging to reopen the Karni crossing for exports and imports from Gaza through Israel, and to activate another crossing, Kerem Shalom at the convergence of Gaza, Israel and Egypt, for shipments from Egypt to Gaza.
Erekat said the sides would have two meetings this morning about the crossings. “I hope they will succeed in allowing goods to come into Gaza as of tomorrow to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza,” he said.
— Additional input from agencies
