Most of Hamas’ Cabinet Will Be New
Incoming Palestinian prime minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday that a majority of the ministers in the Cabinet he was assembling would come from outside the newly elected legislature. Haniyeh has been negotiating with different Palestinian factions to put together a coalition government by the end of this month in the wake of the Islamic militant group’s overwhelming victory in Jan. 25 parliamentary elections. Hamas has been working to bring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party into the Cabinet, but Fatah leaders have said they prefer to serve in the opposition. Hamas spokesman Salah Bardawil said the group told Palestinian parties they must decide by Monday whether to join a Hamas-led government.Full Story