RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - A panel has advised Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to leave the militant Hamas group in power for now, but call new elections after the economic crisis in the Palestinian territories worsens further, a member of the group said Thursday.
In Gaza, meanwhile, some 2,000 supporters of Abbas' Fatah movement marched against the Hamas government Thursday, demanding it move to end the economic boycott imposed by the West for the Islamic group's refusal to renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept existing peace deals.
A leader of the march, identified only as Abu Moussa, said there would be a "revolution of the hungry against this government" if Hamas failed to act.
Abbas had sought to end the economic boycott by pushing Hamas to join Fatah in a coalition government. But talks broke down last week and Abbas has since been weighing three options: leave Hamas in power, dismiss the government or call a referendum on holding new elections.
Abbas declined to discuss the options when speaking to reporters Thursday in Ramallah. Although talks with Hamas have hit an impasse, he said new negotiations were still possible. "Unfortunately, our dialogue hit a dead end, although we should keep up hope to have a national unity government," he said.
Abbas, who discussed the three options late Wednesday with a panel of PLO members, is expected to announce a decision on how to move forward next week. All three choices have serious drawbacks.
Leaving Hamas in power would mean the international aid boycott would remain in place. If Abbas dismissed the government, the Hamas-dominated parliament could block any attempt to install a new Cabinet. And Fatah would not be guaranteed to win new elections should they be held.
Saleh Raafat, a member of the panel that met with Abbas, said a combination of two options is being considered. "We have two recommendations," said Raafat, who represents the PLO's small FIDA Party. "The first is leaving Hamas in power while Fatah constitutes the opposition and gives Hamas a chance to solve the crisis. If it can't do so, then we have to resort to the second choice, a referendum on early elections. We are going to give Hamas a chance to solve the crisis, but I am sure it will not pass the test. It will not succeed unless it changes (its positions)," he said.
Hamas, however, appears increasingly confident it can keep its government afloat without Western aid, mainly with financial help from the Arab world. Hamas has denounced the idea of early elections and said it would not relinquish power. "If we won't have a national unity government, we will not abandon our duty," said Deputy Finance Minister Samir Abu Aisha. "We will keep running the government, even with minimal aid."
Labor Minister Mohammed Barghouti of Hamas said donations from Arab countries could keep the government afloat, citing a pledge by Qatar for $40 million a month to cover the salaries of teachers and some health workers. "Adding to that the local revenues and the decrease in running costs, I think we can manage to keep running the Palestinian Authority," Barghouti said.
Independent economists say the government remains in deep trouble. U.N. groups are asking for a record $450 million in aid to prevent a further economic deterioration in the territories.
According to the U.N., 65 percent of Palestinians are living in poverty and 29 percent are unemployed. The Palestinian health care system is running out of medicine and on the verge of collapse, and nearly half of all Palestinians don't have reliable access to food. 
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