Hamas, the Islamist movement that won control of the Palestinian parliament in elections in January, has abandoned attempts to form a national unity government and was last night dueto announce a cabinet in which it would hold the key posts.

A meeting was scheduled in the Gaza Strip between Ismail Haniya, Hamas's prime minister-designate, and Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority president, who must approve the cabinet list before it goes forward to the 132-member parliament for confirmation.