The Islamic Hamas movement plans to form a new government in the Gaza Strip if the next round of inter-Palestinian dialogue mediated by Egypt fails, sources said on Sunday.

The sources said Hamas officials in the Palestinian territories were in close contact with the exiled leaders to prepare for the formation of the new government if the upcoming round of dialogue between rival Fatah and Hamas, scheduled for mid-May, fails.

The sources who insisted on anonymity said Hamas made the decision following an announcement that President Mahmoud Abbas of rival Fatah movement intends to form an expanded government based in the West Bank.

Abbas' new government "will be illegitimate if the Palestinian Legislative Council, dominated by Hamas, did not grant confidence for it," the sources said.

According to the sources, the new Hamas government of Gaza would be also headed by Ismail Haneya and include two senior officials -- Mahmoud Zahar and Khalil al-Haya.

Hamas will try to persuade some independents to join the new government but exclude members of Fatah, the sources said.

Hamas and Fatah, during four rounds of intensive talks held in Cairo, failed to agree on the platform of a unity government. They, however, agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections by January 2010 and then form the government according to the results of the polls.

After Hamas routed Fatah-dominated security forces loyal to Abbas and seized control of Gaza in June 2007, Abbas fired a Hamas-led unity government and then formed a Western-backed government in the West Bank.

(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2009)