Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that he has supported a government of independent technocrats to surmount international boycott and sanctions on the current Hamas-led one.

Abbas made the remarks at a meeting with journalists at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The meeting came amid an impasse on forming a national unity government.

If factions could not agree on a unity government, a technocrat government is likely to be formed since the cabinet does not ask any faction to make commitments against its will, Abbas said.

However, Abbas reiterated that a unity government based on the Prisoners' Document of National Accordance "would be an ideal solution to get out of the crisis."

Abbas said that he would resort to constitutional and legal options if the crisis persists and international blockade remained imposed on the Palestinians.

Shortly after Abbas's remarks, spokesman of the Hamas-led government Ghazi Hamad announced that Hamas is likely to agree on a unity government of independent and professional ministers.

"There is a trend for Hamas to accept forming a unity government that includes professionals, experts and independents from all Palestinian political spectrum," Hamad said.

The new technocrat government would be accepted at home and abroad, he said.

Hamad said that there were Arab and international diplomatic moves to bridge gaps between ruling Hamas and its rival Fatah, adding those mediations were being studied.

According to Hamad, platform of the upcoming government was more important than name of the would-be 11th government.

Meanwhile, Hamad confirmed reports on an Egyptian proposal to form a Palestinian government without direct participation of Hamas ministers who are lawmakers, adding the idea was still studied.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2006)