Hamas PM says Palestinian unity agreement is near

The elected prime minister of Palestine, Ismail Haniyeh, says his party Hamas has approved the framework of the Egyptian peace agreement and that signing it “is near.”

In an interview aired on September 29, Haniyeh said that the “Hamas position on the Egyptian proposal is positive, because it constitutes the regulatory framework of national reconciliation.”

He also stated that he believes once some parts of the agreement are discussed during talks in October, the proposal will be ready for signing, which ultimately will end the divisions among different Palestinian factions, the Maan news agency reported.

Haniyeh said if everything moves according to the agreement, then the elections will be held at the agreed time. He added that he feels an accord will be reached over the Fatah hesitation over postponing the elections, as per the Egyptian plan, in the “first half of 2010.”

He went on to say that the Palestinians are at a critical juncture and the abnormal situation can be ended soon.

"The normal situation is that we are one people with one government and we are serious in reaching that," he said.