Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail HaniyehAbed Rahim Khatib/Flash 90

Hamas member of parliament Ismail al-Ashkar openly questioned the legitimacy of Mahmoud Abbas' Ramallah government.

In an interview with the Hamas newspaper Filastin, Ashkar said the "Palestinian" parliament, which has a Hamas majority, is discussing the possibility of reinstating Hamas Vice President Ismail Haniyeh as head of the government, after the Palestinian Authority's anti-peace actions.

Ashkar said the lack of government in Gaza is unacceptable, and the Ramallah government does not represent the entire Palestinian nation. He also said Hamdallah's government had not gained the parliament's faith and was affected by internal strife, causing problems in the areas of electricity, education, healthcare, and payments to government workers.

He also said Ismail Haniyeh's government was the only one that gained the faith of the parliament after Hamas won the 2006 elections.