Abbas to lead Palestinian unity government

DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will lead a Fatah-Hamas unity government, the two political factions announced Monday.

The move is seen by analysts as a breakthrough for a long-sought reconciliation between the two factions, Haaretz reported.

"We are serious, both Fatah and Hamas, in healing the wounds and ending the chapter of division and reinforcing and accomplishing reconciliation," Hamas chief Khaled Meshal said in a statement from Doha, Qatar.

Meshal said Palestinians wanted to accomplish unity and move forward "to resist the enemy … and achieve our national goal."

Abbas, the Fatah leader, pledged the reconciliation effort would be implemented in "the shortest time possible."

Haaretz said it wasn't clear when the unity government, conceived as a caretaker Cabinet, would be sworn in before Palestinian parliamentary elections scheduled for May 4.

The two factions signed a reconciliation agreement in May 2011 in which they agreed to conduct elections within a year and appoint an interim unity government, the Ma'an News Agency said. But the parties sparred for months over who would lead the unity government.