Palestinian sources say a 5-week deadline is in place for forming government between rival Palestinian factions and the new PA unity government will be announced before the end of May. The government will consist of only 15 or 16 ministers  who will not be affiliated with any Palestinian group. The Palestinian daily Al-Quds reported that none of the ministers currently serving in the Hamas government headed by Ismail Haniyeh would join the unity government and a few ministers serving in the West Bank government, headed by Rami Hamdallah, would become part of the coalition. Fatah leader Azzam al-Ahmed is expected to travel to the Gaza Strip shortly for talks with Hamas leaders on the composition of the unity government as agreed between the two sides last month. PA sources said that Hamas has ‘displayed a large degree of flexibility’ regarding the issue of the formation of a ‘national consensus government’ headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.