Palestinians unite

Gaza

Palestinian leaders have agreed to form a national unity government. Hamas, the militant group that won the elections in January, and Fatah, the former ruling party, will form a new Cabinet under current Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. It’s unclear, though, whether the formation of the new government will persuade Western countries to resume aid to the Palestinian Authority, which they froze after Hamas took power. The conditions for resuming aid are that the Palestinian government must recognize Israel, halt all violence, and honor past Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Hamas has been firmly opposed to all three.