Palestinian Factions Announce Deal on Unity Government

GAZA - The two main Palestinian factions announced an agreement on Wednesday to heal a seven-year schism and form a unity government within five weeks that would prepare for Palestinian elections six months later.

The two groups - the Palestine Liberation Organization, which runs the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and Hamas, the militant Islamist group that dominates the Gaza Strip - have reached similar accords before that were never carried out. But the latest deal comes as the fragile American-brokered peace efforts between the Palestinians and Israel are approaching an April 29 deadline without a resolution in sight. People familiar with the discussions have said the Israeli and Palestinian sides were far apart even on how to extend the talks past the deadline.

Ismail Haniya, the prime minister of the Hamas government in Gaza, said at a news conference here, 'I announce to our people the news that the years of split are over.'

Before the announcement on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel warned Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the P.L.O. and president of the Palestinian Authority, against taking practical steps toward reconciliation with Hamas.

'Does he want peace with Hamas, or peace with Israel?' Mr. Netanyahu asked. 'You can have one but not the other. I hope he chooses peace. So far he hasn't done so.'

Analysts remained skeptical about whether the Palestinian reconciliation efforts would lead to a tangible change on the ground, because neither of the factions has shown interest in genuine power-sharing in the past, and they have deep differences over how to deal with Israel, which Hamas does not recognize.

Even so, some experts said that the latest effort at reconciliation appeared more serious than past attempts, because both factions are under growing pressure. Gaza under Hamas has been severely weakened by an Egyptian crackdown on the smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border and an Israeli blockade. And Mr. Abbas, for his part, has faced growing criticism from West Bank residents about the negotiations with Israel and his own legitimacy, with Palestinian elections long overdue. He has threatened to dissolve the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, if the talks with Israel end in failure.