ei: Cabinet Members

After Hamas won the parliamentary elections in 2006, the movement has formed a cabinet (see below) but initially failed to form a unity government and had to deal with US-led sanctions against the Hamas-led government. An agreement was reached between Hamas and Fatah early February 2007 after rounds of factional fighting in Gaza. On 14 March 2007, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah) and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh (Hamas) reached an agreement on the new cabinet. On 14 March 2007, Mustafa Barghouti, the designated information minister announced the names of senior ministers in the Palestinian unity government.

Palestinian unity government

Ismail Hanieh - Prime Minister (Hamas)
Azzam al-Ahmad - Deputy PM and State Minister (Fatah)
Dr. Salam Fayyad - Minister of Finance (Independent - member of Third Way Bloc in the PLC)
Dr. Ziad Abu Amer - Minister for Foreign Affairs (Independent)
Hani Talab al-Qawasmi - Minister of Interior (Independent)
Dr. Nasser Eddin al-Sha'er - Minister of Education (Hamas)
Dr. Mustafa al-Barghouthi - Minister of Information (Head of the Palestinian National Initiative, member of Independent Palestine Bloc in the PLC)
Bassam al-Salhi - Minister of Culture - (General Secretary of the Palestinian People's Party, member of the Alternative Bloc in the PLC)
Radwan al-Akhras - Minister of Health - (Fatah)
Sa'di al-Krunz - Minister of Transportation (Fatah)
Mahmoud al-Aloul - Minister of Labor (Fatah)
Saleh Zeidan - Minister of Social Affairs (DFLP)
Taysir Abu Sneineh - Minister of Prisoners Affairs (Fatah)
Dr. Samir Abu Eisheh - Minister of Planning (Hamas)
Mohammed al-Barghouthi - Minister of Local Government (Hamas)
Ziad al-Thatha - Minister of Economy (Hamas)
Dr. Basem Naim - Minister of Youth and Sports (Hamas)
Dr. Yousef al-Mansi - Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology (Hamas)
Dr. Mohammed al-Agha - Minister of Agriculture (Hamas)
Khouloud D'eibes - Minister of Tourism
Dr. Samih al-Abed - Minister of Public Works (Fatah)
Ali al Sartawi � Minister of Justice (Hamas)
Hussein Tartouri � Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs (Hamas)
Amal Syam � Minister of Woman Affairs (Hamas)
Wasi Qabha � Minister of State (Hamas)

Program of Palestinian Unity Government

Cabinet and PLC members arrested by Israel

PCHR Condemns the Kidnapping of the Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister, PCHR (20 August 2006)

PCHR Condemns the Detention of the Speaker of the PLC, PCHR (6 August 2006)

Beware of Democracy, Rifat Odeh Kassis (6 July 2006)

Democracy Can't be Hijacked, Roni Ben Efrat (2 July 2006)

Palestinians Prepare for Peace While Israel Practices War, Raji Sourani (2 July 2006)

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Intensify the Aggression of the Gaza Strip and Continue Reprisals against Palestinian Civilians, PCHR (2 July 2006)

Israel Revokes Residency Rights of Four Palestinian Government Officials, Al Haq (1 July 2006)

Deafening silence from Ireland and the European Union on arrest of elected politicians and incursions into Gaza condemned, Michael D. Higgins (30 June 2006)

Israeli Forces Carry out Sweeping Arrests of Palestinian Officials, Al Haq (30 June 2006)

Israeli Occupation Forces Carry Out Reprisals against Palestinian Civilians in the West Bank, PCHR (29 June 2006)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (3rd R) and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh (3rd L) stand between members of the new Palestinian Hamas government as they pose after being sworn in Gaza March 29, 2006. (MaanImages/POOL/Suhaib Salem)

Opinion & Analysis

A just peace or no peace, Ismail Haniyeh (31 March 2006)

The power of saying no, Jeff Halper (21 March 2006)

Punishing Hamas is punishing the Palestinian people, Hasan Abu Nimah (22 February 2006)

A Parliament of Prisoners, Toufic Haddad (4 February 2006)

The End of a Political Fiction? Adam Hanieh (2 February 2006)

The Hamas Victory: Green Dawn, Red Dusk?, Toufic Haddad (31 January 2006)

Hamas election victory: A call for good governance and respect of Palestinian rights, BADIL (28 January 2006)

Hamas Election Victory: A Vote for Clarity, Ali Abunimah (26 January 2006)

The political program that Hamas Movement presented to the parliament blocs for the purpose of forming a national coalition government.