Abbas appoints new Palestinian PM
Saturday, 16 June 2007
GAZA CITY, June 15(AL JAZEERA.NET): Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has appointed Salam Fayyad, an independent parliamentarian, as prime minister of an emergency government.
Fayyad was finance minister in the unity government between Hamas and Fatah which Abbas sacked on Thursday following Hamas's virtual takeover of the Gaza Strip.
Earlier Hamas leader said that the "unity government" would continue to function despite being sacked by Abbas.
He called his dismissal and the declaration of a state of emergency on Thursday "hasty".
In Gaza, the looting of security force buildings loyal to Fatah continued and Hamas supporters celebrated as Ismail Haniya of Hamas ordered an end to reprisals.
Before the announcement of Fayyad as his replacement, Haniya said he remained open to dialogue with Abbas.
"I still stress that the door is open to restructure Palestinian relations on the basis of national values," he said.
Hamas, now in apparent full-control of Gaza, declared clemency for all Fatah members and security forces on Friday, after seizing several senior officials, a spokesman for the group's military wing said.
The commanders of the National Security Force and the Presidential Guard were among those that had been held by Hamas, Abu Obeideh said on Friday.
He said dozens of security officers and party officials had already been released under the amnesty.
Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said: "We know that he can carry on leading the government in the Gaza Strip with the Hamas ministers who are in the Gaza Strip.
"We do not know how they will be able to fund the government, how they will bring in food and supplies or how they will be able to have any influence in the West Bank."
Civilians poured into the presidential compound in Gaza City Friday, hauling away fridges, satellite dishes, and doors, as Hamas fighters fired shots into the air in an attempt to disperse them.
With Gaza effectively under the control of Hamas, Israel and the United States were preparing to ease an embargo on the Palestinian Authority in order to channel funds to Abbas's Fatah-run West Bank administration.
"If there will be an emergency government without participation of Hamas, then the funds can flow," a senior Israeli official said. "From our point of view, there isn't a Hamas government any more."
Fatah and Hamas had formed a unity government in March in a deal brokered at Mecca in an effort to overcome their differences.
The European Commission said Friday it also fully supported Abbas and called for dialogue to end civil strife.
An EU spokeswoman said: "We call on President Abbas, the legitimate president of all Palestinians, to [do] his utmost to resolve the situation through dialogue and to work towards national unity and reconciliation."
The EU aimed to continue humanitarian aid to both the West Bank and Gaza, the spokeswoman said.
Israel's military said Friday that all crossings into the Gaza Strip had been closed after Hamas seized control of the territory.
Fayyad was finance minister in the unity government between Hamas and Fatah which Abbas sacked on Thursday following Hamas's virtual takeover of the Gaza Strip.
Earlier Hamas leader said that the "unity government" would continue to function despite being sacked by Abbas.
He called his dismissal and the declaration of a state of emergency on Thursday "hasty".
In Gaza, the looting of security force buildings loyal to Fatah continued and Hamas supporters celebrated as Ismail Haniya of Hamas ordered an end to reprisals.
Before the announcement of Fayyad as his replacement, Haniya said he remained open to dialogue with Abbas.
"I still stress that the door is open to restructure Palestinian relations on the basis of national values," he said.
Hamas, now in apparent full-control of Gaza, declared clemency for all Fatah members and security forces on Friday, after seizing several senior officials, a spokesman for the group's military wing said.
The commanders of the National Security Force and the Presidential Guard were among those that had been held by Hamas, Abu Obeideh said on Friday.
He said dozens of security officers and party officials had already been released under the amnesty.
Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said: "We know that he can carry on leading the government in the Gaza Strip with the Hamas ministers who are in the Gaza Strip.
"We do not know how they will be able to fund the government, how they will bring in food and supplies or how they will be able to have any influence in the West Bank."
Civilians poured into the presidential compound in Gaza City Friday, hauling away fridges, satellite dishes, and doors, as Hamas fighters fired shots into the air in an attempt to disperse them.
With Gaza effectively under the control of Hamas, Israel and the United States were preparing to ease an embargo on the Palestinian Authority in order to channel funds to Abbas's Fatah-run West Bank administration.
"If there will be an emergency government without participation of Hamas, then the funds can flow," a senior Israeli official said. "From our point of view, there isn't a Hamas government any more."
Fatah and Hamas had formed a unity government in March in a deal brokered at Mecca in an effort to overcome their differences.
The European Commission said Friday it also fully supported Abbas and called for dialogue to end civil strife.
An EU spokeswoman said: "We call on President Abbas, the legitimate president of all Palestinians, to [do] his utmost to resolve the situation through dialogue and to work towards national unity and reconciliation."
The EU aimed to continue humanitarian aid to both the West Bank and Gaza, the spokeswoman said.
Israel's military said Friday that all crossings into the Gaza Strip had been closed after Hamas seized control of the territory.