GAZA, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Rivals Fatah and Hamas announced Monday they have reached an agreement to form a national unity government, ending a six-month standoff.
Spokesman for the Hamas-led government of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Ghazi Hamad said the Islamic militant group agreed, after a series of consultations, on the name of the next head of government and that it will relay his name to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
"The presidency and the government are deploying maximum efforts for achieving a final agreement on the formation of a national unity government, and once consensus is reached over the next prime minister, the appointment of ministers will be easier," Hamad said.
Hamas declared late Sunday that it reached an accord with Abbas and Fatah on replacing Haniyeh's government with a national unity cabinet on the condition that the Islamic group can nominate the prime minister.
It said a meeting between Haniyeh and Abbas is expected in the next few days, during which the new government would be announced after the two agreed that Hamas has the right to name the prime minister since it commands the parliamentary majority.
In the meantime, Israel continued its military offensive in north Gaza for the sixth straight day Monday, killing two Palestinians, including a 15-year-old schoolboy, and injuring seven.
Palestinian news agency WAFA said the boy was killed when Israeli troops fired a rocket at a car passing at the level of a school bus near Beit Hanoun.
A 19-year-old Palestinian also died Monday, succumbing to grave wounds suffered two days ago in Israel's offensive in Beirut Hanoun.
The Palestinian death toll has now reached 52, in addition to 250 injured since Israel launched the offensive which it said is aimed at silencing Qassam rocket attacks from north Gaza.
