Palestinians to announce unity government line-up Thursday

The Palestinians will announce the line-up of an interim unity government Thursday, Hamas and Fatah officials said Wednesday.

"On Thursday, Ismail Haneya (Hamas deputy chief) will address a speech from Gaza and then President Mahmoud Abbas will declare from Ramallah the formation of the interim unity government," Xinhua quoted Musa Abu Marzooq, an Islamic Hamas movement official, as saying.

Marzooq said the two sides will agree on the names of the new government's members within the coming hours, including interior and foreign affairs portfolios.

He denied that there were obstacles facing the formation of the government, adding that Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah will be also the minister of interior.

Earlier Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the new interim unity government will see the light within a few days.

"We agreed with Islamic Hamas movement to form a unity government that will see the light within the coming days," Abbas said at a meeting in Ramallah with Israeli activists and members in left-wing Israeli movements. "The upcoming new government will keep functioning until holding the general elections."

According to a deal reached April 23 between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah party, an interim unity government will have a six-month mission before general parliamentary and presidential elections.