Hamas: Abbas’ new government ‘reinforces division’

Hamas yesterday condemned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ nomination of Mohammed Shtayyeh as the new prime minister, saying this “reinforces internal division”.

In a statement, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said: “The new government formed without consensus. It reflects Abbas’ unilateralism and monopoly of power.”

Barhoum added: “Abbas also ignored previous reconciliation agreements, and in doing so he is preparing for separating the Gaza Strip from the West Bank and is reinforcing the internal Palestinian division.”

Therefore, Barhoum stressed that his movement “does not recognise this separatist government because it was formed without national consensus.”

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He stated that the best way to solve the internal Palestinian deadlock is “to reorganise the current Palestinian situation, form a national unity government and hold the Palestinian general elections, including presidential, parliamentarian and national council elections.”

This statement followed the nomination of the senior Fatah leader and former minister Shtayyeh as a prime minister.

“In line with the instructions of President Abbas, the duty of our government is to ensure the unity, to end the division and to bring the national legitimacy to Gaza,” Shtayyeh said.

However, Shtayyeh’s nomination was widely condemned by all the Palestinian factions.