Fatah seeks national unity govt with Hamas

AMMAN, Aug 26 (Reuters) Leaders of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement today endorsed a national unity government with the rival Hamas group to end feuding they say Israel has exploited to stall on West Asia peace pledges.

Veteran Fatah leader Nabil Shaath said at the end of three days of talks in Amman that the 17-member Central Committee, the governing body of the long dominant Palestinian movement, now sought a unity government with the Islamist group which defeated Fatah in January elections.

''Palestinian blood is sacred and we will not allow any infighting and have agreed to work towards a national unity government,'' Shaath told reporters.

''A national unity government will strengthen our hands to face the Israeli occupation,'' he added.

Abbas and Hamas agreed last week to restart negotiations on a unity government in the hope of easing a Western aid embargo imposed to pressure the militant group to recognise Israel and renounce violence.

A Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters the group welcomed Fatah's decision, saying it created the right atmosphere for consultations under way to form a unity administration.

Some Palestinian leaders said the Israeli failure to achieve a military victory in Lebanon by eliminating Hizbollah guerrillas had given impetus to renewed efforts to unify ranks against common enemy Israel.

''After this great achievement (by Hizbollah), the equation has changed and the Israeli supremacy is gone ... they cannot do whatever they want after Lebanon,'' said Hani al-Hassan, an old guard Fatah politician.

''The problem is not Hamas and Fatah and we insist on a government of national unity to deter Israel,'' he added.

Palestinians fear that if discussions between Hamas and Fatah fail, there is a danger of a return to the violent power struggle that followed the elections.

Abu Zuhri said Hamas would not place any preconditions on the talks.

Leaders of Fatah also said they were not placing conditions on Hamas even though a national government must adopt a pragmatic approach towards resuming peace talks with Israel.

Palestinian sources said Fatah hardliners prevented Abbas supporters from adopting a communique that would have given a mandate to the moderate leader to impose a political programme on Hamas that explicitly demands recognition of Israel.

''We are not asking Hamas to recognise Israel,'' leading Fatah leader Abbas Zaki told reporters.

''We want a national government that is committed to a pragmatic programme,'' said Shaath.

The communique stressed support for a ''national unity government with the participation of all Palestinian forces'' on the basis of a political deal over a prisoners' document reached between Hamas and Abbas last June that defused tensions.

Fatah leaders also said they agreed to speed preparations for a long delayed party congress last held almost two decades ago and speed plans for wider grassroots representation.

The old generation of leaders will be challenged from a reform-minded young guard demanding a role in the decision making process.

REUTERS DKA HS1751