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Palestinians agree on a government of national unity

As the pressure from the Palestinian public mounted both Hamas and Fattah factions have been under growing pressure to find a solution to end the economic sanctions enforced by Israel and the international community against the current Hamas led government which has refused to accept the quartet`s conditions for the end of sanctions, recognition of Israel, renunciation of violence and the acceptance of all agreements previously signed with Israel.

The Hamas, who has won the recent Palestinian elections have since been in power but haven`t been unable to preserve peace, is either unwilling or unable to except the international community`s requirements and therefore are in great need for political change that will allow the Hamas run Palestinian authority to receive money and supplies from the outer world greatly aiding the hardship felt in the West Bank and mostly in Gaza. Many of the Authority`s workers haven`t been paid in recent months.

The pressure from the street has thrown the Hamas into negotiations with the Fattah in order to allow a new government of national unity under an impartial prime minister, that will alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians people, yet will not force the Hamas to acknowledge Israel. The negotiations have led to the two factions agreeing on Professor Mohammed Shbeir, originally from Khan Younis but currently living in Gaza City. Shbeir was president of the Islamic University in Gaza for the past 15 years so that he may not be a member of the Hamas movement but is definitely associated with it. On the other hand Shbeir is US-educated. He received his PhD in Microbiology from the University of Verginia, giving hope that this prime minister will be a pragmatist and will allow progress in Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations.