Abbas ready to delay new government, give Hamas chance to join

GAZA. March 17. KAZINFORM Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that he is ready to visit Gaza immediately in an effort to end the internal political division between the two main Palestinian political parties, Hamas and Fatah; Kazinform refers to CNN.

His statement came a day after Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader in Gaza, extended an invitation to Abbas as tens of thousands of Palestinians protestors in both the West Bank and Gaza demanded an immediate end to the internal Palestinian division.

In an address broadcast from his presidential compound in Ramallah in the West Bank, Abbas told a meeting of the Palestinian Central Council that he is ready to meet with Hamas leadership.

"I am ready to go to Gaza tomorrow for the sake of ending the division and forming a government," Abbas said

"I am not going to Gaza for negotiations, I am going to Gaza for the formation of a government and to agree on the presidential and legislative elections and formation of a national council within six months or the nearest time frame, under the auspices of the United Nations and the Arab League and the Islamic league and the international humanitarian rights organization."

Abbas said he is ready to postpone the formation of a new government if he reaches an agreement with Hamas this week. He previously had promised elections in the West Bank no later than September.

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