In the Occupied Territories, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced talks for a national unity government with Hamas have broken down. Abbas says he may try to dissolve the government if he can’t reach an agreement. Clashes between the two leading Palestinian factions have left twelve people dead in the last week. In Gaza, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said the US-led aid freeze on his government is hurting Palestinians and hindering chances at national unity.

• Palestinian Prime Minister Minister Ismail Haniyeh: “There is an elected Palestinian government that expresses the will of the Palestinian voter, and it is a legitimate government. However, we have said that we have no problem with resuming the dialogue concerning the formation of unity government. But once again, I say, stay away from using the sword of time and do not use the suffering of the Palestinian people to impose a political agenda on the region.”