Abbas Installs Cabinet, Moves To Isolate Hamas

JERUSALEM — President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority moved yesterday to impose a ban on Hamas militias — opening the door to more sweeping arrests by his own forces in the West Bank of those activists not picked up by Israeli forces.

He installed a new 13-member emergency Cabinet that has set itself the task of isolating Hamas's leaders while trying to win back the hearts of Gaza's masses.

The new Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, a former official at the World Bank official and respected in the West, addressed Gazans directly in a brief speech following his swearing-in.

"You are in our hearts," said Mr. Fayyad, who will serve also as finance and foreign minister.

"You are our priorities in our programs, despite the programs and doings of the forces of darkness, in the land of Gaza, the land of revolution and steadfastness. Let us work together for Palestine."

But the territory Palestinian Arabs want for a state is now split in two, with separate governments in each of Gaza, with 1.4 million people, and the West Bank, where about 2 million Palestinian Arabs live. Mr. Abbas's plan to win back support in Gaza amounts to showing how good life can be under a moderate, secular government, while isolating Hamas's leaders in the region.

"This government must help people and support them in this situation, economically and socially, especially in Gaza," said the new minister for prisoners' affairs, Ashraf Ajrami. "We declared Hamas to be an illegal movement in this regard to weaken it and to make it fall in Gaza."

The coming days are expected to bring a windfall to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank after months of hardship. Israel is widely expected to release hundreds of millions in customs and tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinian government but not released while Hamas was in power, and international aid is expected to resume quickly.

Israeli officials also said the removal of checkpoints in the West Bank, a redeployment of Israeli forces and a general return to the American-backed road map for peace are up for discussion.