Senior officials from Fatah and Hamas would meet soon in the Gaza Strip for continued talks on the formation of a new cabinet, sources close to Fatah said on Wednesday.

Azzam al-Ahmed of Fatah and Mahmoud al-Zahar of Hamas, both also members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), would meet in Gaza, probably on Thursday, to continue talks over forming the next Hamas-led cabinet and Fatah's position on whether to join it, the sources told reporters here.

The anticipated meeting came as Hamas announced on Wednesday that it would keep to itself some key cabinet portfolios, including the foreign, interior and financial ministries.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also Fatah leader, will head to the Gaza Strip later in the day to meet Hamas prime minister-designate Ismail Haneya over the formation of the Hamas-led government.

Abbas was expected to discuss with Haneya the latest efforts to form the cabinet and disagreements between Hamas and Fatah over decisions made by the previous Fatah-dominated parliament to grant additional powers to the president.

The second round of talks between Hamas and other parliament parties on whether to join the cabinet were also underway.

Hamas won 74 seats in the new 132-member PLC in the Jan. 25 Palestinian parliamentary elections and was thus mandated to form the next government, ousting the long-dominate Fatah.

Source: Xinhua