GAZA -- Islamic Hamas Thursday urged Palestinian officials to begin forming a ruling coalition to serve in the case of Yasser Arafat's death.
Arafat is in a hospital in France and is reported to be in a coma.
In a position paper circulated after Israeli media reported Arafat is clinically dead -- which has been denied -- Hamas said any ruling coalition to fill the vacuum left by Arafat's death must include representatives of all Palestinian national, Arab and Islamic factions. It said that should include Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The Hamas paper mentioned former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Fatah movement and Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia as chairman of the Palestinian Authority cabinet as well as the highest council for security.
It said the Palestinian Legislative Council would be chaired as usual by Speaker Rawhi Fatouh.
