Palestinian unity government sworn in
(VOVworld) - The Palestinian unity government has been sworn in by President Mahmoud Abbas. The ceremony took place Monday in Ramallah, the Palestinian seat of government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
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| Palestinian unity government sworn in (Photo: Reuters) |
The swearing in marks the end of a seven-year rift between rival factions Hamas and Fatah. The new Palestinian unity government has 17 ministers of which 5 are from the Gaza strip and none represents either of the two rival factions Hamas and Fatah. The head of the new unity government is Prime Minister Rami Hamdallad. At the ceremony, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the political split that has caused many crises for the Palestinian people has ended. Abbas said national unity is indispensable for achieving the dreams and ambitions of the Palestinian people.
Earlier on April 23, Hamas and Fatah signed a deal to end years of rivalry between the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the Islamist Hamas party in Gaza. Hamas took power in the coastal enclave following elections in 2007. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is led by the Fatah party, agreed to work with Hamas to establish an interim government of political independents in order to prepare for long-delayed elections.