Plans for New Palestinian Government

The Islamist group Hamas will present on Sunday its cabinet to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In the absence of partners for a coalition, Hamas plans to appoint party loyalists to top ministerial posts.

Hamas, which won the elections against Abbas's Fatah faction, formed the cabinet just over a week before Israel's own parliamentary election on March 28. This failure to attract any rival factions could strengthen U.S.'s and Israel's efforts to isolate the new government.

Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh is expected to give the names to Abbas, the parliament convening soon for the vote of confidence. "Today I will meet brother Ismail Haniyeh and we will see the (formation) of the cabinet. After that the legal procedures will take place such as going to (parliament) and the swearing in," Abbas declared.

The group's leader-in-exile Khaled Meshaal said Israel could use this new situation as a pretext to launch strikes at Palestinians. "The United States placed pressure on ... Palestinian factions to not participate in the government so that the government will be purely Hamas and Israel can justify carrying out its plan to attack the Palestinian people," he stated.

Azzam al-Ahmad, head of the Fatah parliamentary bloc, said the U.S. exerted no pressure on their decision whether they should join or not the new government.

"The Hamas leadership, which is touring all capitals seeking their mediation to open channels of dialogue with the United States and Israel, has no right to scrap the Palestinian people's history and its national achievements," he added.