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Hamas wants to extend unity government but with conditions

Hamas wants changes for the unity government as its six-month term has come to an end, criticizing President Mahmoud Abbas for failing to address Gaza’s woes.
Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (R) speaks with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah at Haniyeh's house in Gaza City October 9, 2014. Hamdallah arrived in the Hamas-dominated Gaza Strip on Thursday and convened the first meeting of a unity government there since a brief civil war in 2007 between Hamas and forces loyal to the Fatah party.     REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR49J4R
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The legal term of the consensus government, which was set at six months in light of the Palestinian reconciliation, ended on Dec. 2. However, Hamas leader Salah Bardawil asserted on Dec. 3 that he was ready to extend the government’s work for an additional six months.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ahmad Bahr, the acting speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, called on Fatah and Hamas to “re-establish the government, as the one already in place has not carried out any of the tasks delegated to it, especially in the Gaza Strip.”

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