Youssef Rizqa, adviser of former Gaza prime minister, has stated that the new government of Rami Hamdallah is "an essential factor for Palestinian unity real national partnership." In a press statement on Wednesday, Rizqa said: "Hamdallah's government is considered as a helping factor to restore unity in the country. Hamdallah is a man of academia, thus he does not have any dispute with any Palestinian party." President Mahmoud Abbas appointed 54-year-old Rami Hamdallah as the new Prime Minister to replace Salam Fayyad, who resigned April 13. Hamdallah, was president of An-Najah University located in Nablus. However, Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, has said that the new government "does not represent Palestinian people" considering the decision as "illegal" as it does not take "legitimacy from the Legislative Council.” Abu Zahri said the decision to form a new government "is not what was agreed in the Cairo meetings between Hamas and Fatah." He has called for the need to work on "implementing what was actually agreed" to bring an end to the political divide between the two parties.