Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hinted on Thursday that he favors a technocratic government after talks on national unity government have hit a dead end.

Abbas made the remarks in a joint news conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the West Bank city of Jericho.

He told the reporters that he will consider his options in the coming few days as "we could not succeed or reach our goal which was a unity government able to take off and deal with the international community."

"Independents and geniuses can be found among Fatah, Hamas and all sectors of our people," Abbas said, ruling out a civil war between the Palestinians.

He, meanwhile, expressed his disappointment over the failure of the coalition talks, saying "since nine months, our people have been suffering the lack of salaries and resources."

"If we have succeeded and formed a unity government that understands international resolutions and deal with the world, we would have been able to lift siege on our people," he added.

Abbas said that he had discussed current ceasefire in Gaza with Rice and expressed hope the calm extends to reach the West Bank. " Enforcing the truce will pave the way to return back to the peace process in the Middle East."

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's recent speech was a positive development since it called for peace, but "Israel continues its policy of settlement expansion on the Palestinian land which has been gnawing day after day", Abbas said, reminding that many Palestinians are living in hard circumstances in Israeli prisons.

Olmert said Monday that Israel is ready to free the Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel in exchange for the return of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, local Ha'aretz said.

"We would like to pull out from considerable Palestinian territory and dismantle settlements in exchange for a real peace with the Palestinians," said Olmert.

The remarks was regarded as a major policy speech following a vulnerable truce was reached between Israel and the Palestinians, which went into effect on Sunday, ending a five-month Israeli military offensive in Gaza in the wake of the abduction of Shalit.

For her part, Rice shared the same hopes with Abbas. She thanked Abbas for efforts he exerted with the Palestinian factions to form a new government and hailed his supportive position regarding the fresh ceasefire deal with Israel.

Rice promised to act with Abbas and the Israelis to ease the hardship of the Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Xinhua