Abbas to meet Hamas delegation in Ramallah

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would meet a delegation from the Hamas-led government on Sunday at his compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah, sources at Abbas' office said.

According to the sources, Abbas would get Hamas' final response to an earlier proposal to form a government of independent professionals, known as a technocrat government.

Deputy Prime Minister Nasser al-Sha'er would head the delegation in its second such meeting in a week.

Reports revealed Sunday that Abbas threatened Hamas to form a technocrat government in two weeks if the ruling party didn't comply with moves that aimed at forming a coalition one in line with Arab peace initiative and international resolutions.

However, spokesman for the Hamas-led government Ghazi Hamad denied these reports, saying they were "guesswork."

Earlier this week, Abbas met with ministers from the Hamas-led government in Ramallah and discussed pressing issues. The meeting ended with a phone call between Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya after a period of cold relations between the two leaders.

Meanwhile, Palestinian businessman Moneeb al-Masri, who is expected to lead the technocrat government if it is formed, said he was going to meet Abbas later on Sunday, without elaborating reasons for their meeting.

Source: Xinhua