The agreement between Fatah and Hamas for a Palestinian unity government, to be headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, almost certainly signals the end of the short-lived attempt to re-launch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Senior Israeli analysts are convinced that some Hamas leaders genuinely want the terror group to become a legitimate political force.

Hamas has been under pressure in recent weeks from Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt to renounce violence, and there are clear signs that a new direction is being considered.

One Israeli expert on Hamas said this week: "There is a true change of direc

Reports of a shift of policy by Hamas to non-violent resistance against Israel appear premature at best.

In a Friday interview with the Euronews network, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas claimed to have reached an agreement with Hamas that, from now on, the Palestinian struggle against Israel would "be population-based and not with weapons".

Five hundred and fifty Palestinian prisoners will walk free on Sunday in the second stage of the deal that was struck to secure the release of Gilad Shalit.

Two months after the soldier returned home after more than five years as a captive of Hamas, Israel will again pay the heavy price accepted for his freedom.

A list of names of those who would be freed was published earlier this week.

Hamas cannot see a top without verbally going over it.

Even by the standards of their usual outbursts, they've excelled over the closure of a wooden ramp leading from the Western Wall to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif.

Spokesman Fawzi Barhum said this was a "violent act… a declaration of religious war on the Muslim holy places… a serious step that shows the Zionist scheme of aggression