DOHA: Leaders of Palestinian movement Hamas met in Qatar yesterday amid renewed impetus for a unity government after the resignation of prime minister Salam Fayad, a Palestinian official told AFP.

Newly re-elected Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal chaired the meeting in his base in exile in Qatar, which was also attended by Hamas leaders from Gaza including its prime minister Ismail Haniyeh.

Momentum has built for reconciliation between Hamas and the Fatah movement of president Mahmoud Abbas since the resignation of Fayad, a US-trained economist whose appointment as premier was never recognized by Hamas.

“The meeting began on Thursday and will continue until Saturday,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Hamas leaders will discuss “Palestinian reconciliation, developments in the Palestinian arena following Fayad’s resignation, as well as ways of pressing Israel to release Palestinian prisoners,” the official said.

Yesterday’s talks in Doha came after Abbas pledged at a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization late on Thursday to step up efforts for a unity government.

Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement in Cairo in 2011, pledging to set up a caretaker government of independents to pave the way for parliamentary and presidential elections within 12 months, but its implementation stalled over the government’s makeup.

Abbas, under pressure to forge a national unity government, has pledged to launch talks “in the near future” on forming a new Cabinet.

Abbas made the remarks late Thursday at a meeting of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which was attended by Fayad.

“We will hold consultations in the near future to form a government,” said Abbas, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

The president has been pressed by members of his Fatah party to form a national unity government that would guarantee Palestinian national reconciliation with Hamas. Hamas and Fatah have both said that Fayad’s resignation could provide an opportunity for the launch of serious efforts to reconcile the two sides.