Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), who took over after Yassir Arafat died, designated PA Prime Minister and Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh to form a new government within the next five weeks.
Celebrations have broken out in Gaza and one Kassam rocket was already fired Friday morning toward the city of Sderot.
It was also agreed as part of the deal that Hamas would uphold agreements with Israel signed by the previous, Fatah-led PA government.
“I call upon you to respect international resolutions and the agreements signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization,” said Abbas to Haniyeh during the signing ceremony.
No mention was made of the other two international demands that any PA government, including one controlled by Hamas, must formally recognize the State of Israel and renounce terrorism. Hamas has adamantly refused to comply with both.
The third, compliance with previously signed agreements, was resolved in the Saudi-brokered unity deal.
“Israel expects the new Palestinian government to accept and respect all three of the international community’s principles,” Prime Minster Ehud Olmert’s spokeswoman Miri Eisen said in response to the announcement.
British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett was hopeful, saying “We welcome the ongoing efforts to end the violence and promote intra-Palestinian reconciliation.”
US States Department Spokesman Tom Casey stood by American demands that the PA fulfill the Quartet’s requirements. Casey told reporters that any new PA government must recognize Israel, renounce violence against Israel and abide by previous agreements.
Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) said that the proper response to the PA unity government is an Isaeli national unity government. He set up meetings with all of Israel’s right-wing and religious parties for the coming week to discuss such a possibility.
Lieberman said Israel needs to be unified and strong in the face of the possibility that the Palestinian Authority, still ruled by Hamas, will now gain international acceptance and support due to the Mecca Agreement.