Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has frozen talks on forming a unity government after Hamas said it would not accept existing peace accords with Israel, an aide said on Sunday. "Abu Mazen has frozen efforts to form the national unity government," Nabil Amr, a media adviser to Abbas said in a statement, cited by Reuters.
Meanwhile, an Israeli government source said Saturday that talks over the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit were "moving ahead and coming closer, but that it is doubtful they will be completed in a week."
Israeli sources have refused to confirm or deny reports that Israel had received a sign of life recently from Shalit, who is being held in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources have told Haaretz that the sign of life was a letter written by the soldier to his father.
Palestinian PM Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday there was "lots of movement" in negotiations over the release of the soldier in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
