Hamas is to blame for prolonging the recent conflict with Israel according to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
"It was possible for us to avoid all of that, 2,000 martyrs, 10,000 injured, 50,000 houses (destroyed)," Abbas told Palestine TV in remarks broadcast Friday. He said Hamas had insisted on discussing demands first before ending the war, which only served to prolong the violence needlessly.
The announcement may indicate issues are still unresolved for any new unity government.
The unity government was meant to put an end to the animosity between the two Palestinian groups from when Hamas overran Gaza in 2007, ousting forces from the Fatah party, led by the Western-backed secular Abbas, in bloody street battles. Abbas has since governed only in parts of the West Bank, and Hamas has ruled Gaza.
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"They (Hamas) have a shadow government, if this continues it means no unity. The test is coming soon. The government needs to do its job and handle everything," Abbas said. "I'm not saying everything needs to come to an end in one moment, this is a seven-year split that needs months or years," Abbas said.