Palestinians announce agreement for unity government

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/palestinians-announce-agreement-for-unity-government.html

Palestinian factions said Monday they had broken a political impasse by agreeing to make Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas head of a proposed unity government between the secular Fatah Party and the Islamist militant movement Hamas.
Abbas would serve as president and prime minister, replacing current Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who was favored by Abbas and the international community to continue in that role but was rejected by Hamas leaders as being too pro-Western.
As president, Abbas was already in a position to play a leading role in the unity government, which was announced in May 2011. The government was never formed due to political in-fighting between Hamas and Fatah.

Why now?

It was also unclear whether Hamas leaders in Gaza would embrace the deal. A power struggle has emerged between Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal, who signed the deal in Qatar, and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, whose future role in the unity government is unclear.
Hamas has been forced to abandon its exile base in Syria due to the instability there in recent months and is searching for another country to host its leaders.