Everyone in Gaza wonders why Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is planning to form a new government in the West Bank, just days before rival Fatah and Hamas leaders resume internal reconciliation dialogue to end their political rifts.

Palestinian observers are divided over the reasons behind Abbas' intention at this particular time, when Fatah and Hamas movements are trying to find ways to get out of an over-three-year schism.

"In fact there are two possible reasons. First, Abbas knows in advance that the dialogue with Hamas would never succeed as long as the Islamic movement doesn't change its strategy towards all the core issues," said Hani Awad, a Palestinian political analyst based in Gaza.

The second reason is "Abbas wants to exert more pressure on the movement that took control of the Gaza Strip by force in June 2007until Hamas leaders accept Abbas' conditions on forming one government for both Gaza and West Bank," he said.

However, Zakareya Hejjo, a Gaza-based pro-Fatah analyst, opposed the two options and accused President Abbas for boosting Hamas movement at the expense of Fatah which was weakened since it lost the parliamentary elections in January 2006.

"Abbas accepted Hamas conditions and allowed it to join the legislative elections in 2006, and Hamas won and defeated Fatah that he had basically weakened," he said.

Hejjo said Abbas did not declare a status of emergency in Gaza to prevent Hamas militias from taking control of the Gaza Strip in2007, and refused to give instructions to his security chiefs to stop Hamas from seizing all his security and government buildings.

In response, Abbas deposed the unity government headed by Hamas and asked Salam Fayyad to form a caretaker government in the West Bank. Hamas rejected Abbas' decrees and kept ruling the enclave since June 14, 2007.

"Abbas now continues his role of boosting Hamas in Gaza by forming a new larger government for the West Bank, regardless of Gaza people's suffering due to the Israeli blockade and due to Hamas policy against Fatah members," said Hejjo.

Meanwhile, Hamas warned Abbas of forming a new government, arguing that "forming a new government would undermine all the current efforts made to reach a reconciliation agreement brokered by Egypt."

"Abbas declaration to form a new government in the West Bank will be a premature mourning of the results of the dialogue that is scheduled to start soon in Cairo," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

He said in a statement that "such a decision doesn't bring good news. It expresses bad intention and endorses the feeling that there is no desire to reach any reconciliation deal. Such a move will devote rift and encourage chaos."

A new round of dialogue between Fatah and Hamas is due to be relaunched in Cairo on May 16 to continue the debates on forming anew government, rehabilitating the security apparatuses, reforming the Palestine Liberation Organization and the system of the upcoming elections.

Prime Minister Fayyad of the Western-backed Palestinian government, has said either the caretaker government or the new larger government expected to be formed on Tuesday evening "will immediately quit as soon as a reconciliation deal is reached among the Palestinian factions."

On Monday, a senior Fatah official said the upcoming internal dialogue round with Islamic Hamas movement in Cairo will make progress on several pending issues.

"There are positive indications that a progress will be made in this round," said Nabil Shaath, a member of Fatah's central committee, led by Abbas.

He said Egypt continued its contacts and efforts with the Palestinian factions to hurdle the obstacles on the way of forming a unity government and solving other outstanding issues.