Abbas agrees unity cabinet with Hamas

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed on Thursday on the make-up of a unity government with Hamas, but Israel called on the world community to shun it because its platform did not recognize the Jewish state.

A draft of the platform states that "resistance is a legitimate right for the Palestinian people" and authorises Abbas to handle negotiations with Israel so long as he brings any agreement to a parliamentary or popular vote.

Israel said it would boycott the new cabinet as proposed by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and accepted by Abbas, just as it has shunned its Hamas-run predecessor.

It said the government's platform was proof it would not recognize Israel, renounce violence and abide by interim peace deals as demanded by the Quartet of Middle East mediators.

Haniyeh told reporters the government list would be submitted to parliament for a confidence vote on Saturday.

Palestinians hope the deal will end fighting between Abbas's secular Fatah group and Islamist Hamas that has claimed more than 90 Palestinian lives since December, as well as ease a crippling Western aid embargo of the Palestinian Authority.

"When ... a new Palestinian government is formed which does not meet the conditions of Israel and the international community the situation becomes no simpler, we will have to insist that the conditions which (were laid down) will be met," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said.

"We hope that the international community will stand steadfast behind its own principles and refuse to give legitimacy or recognition to this extreme government," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.