Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greets the Emir of Qatar, and then Khaled Meshaal, the head of Hamas.<br/> <br />At a meeting in Doha, rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas agreed to form a unified government for the West Bank and Gaza Strip, headed by President Abbas.<br/> <br />Secular Fatah and Islamist Hamas have been bitter rivals since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.<br/> <br />A reconciliation deal was signed last year, and both leaders say they are serious about implementing the accord.<br/> <br />A senior Palestinian official said Monday's agreement means Abbas would assume the role of prime minister, though it's not clear when this new government will be formed.<br/> <br />The deal provides for a government of independent technocrats to oversee preparations for elections later this year.<br/> <br />Fatah supports a negotiated peace with Israel that would give Palestinians an independent state, whereas Hamas is officially sworn to the destruction of Israel, though open to an indefinite ceasefire.<br/> <br />Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
