The Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah of Hamas has resigned to pave way for a new unity government with rival movement Fatah. Officials say Haniyeh handed his resignation to Abbas during a meeting in Gaza.
The change is seen as the first step towards forming a new government, aiming to end factional warfare and remove a Western aid boycott of Hamas. Haniyah remains caretaker Prime Minister and has five weeks to form a Hamas-Fatah coalition.