It was formed on 26 August 2012 and approved by the Gaza-based Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).
[3] The priorities of the new government has been said to be "ending the siege [of the Gaza Strip] and easing the problems of citizens, especially with regard to electricity and water.
Haniyeh had continued to claim the PA Fatah government of 2007 in West Bank and its successors were illegitimate.
In September 2012, following the announcement of the new government, the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that for the first time since the split with the Palestinian Authority in 2007, Hamas was seeking to appoint its own diplomats.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ghazi Hamad, however, strongly denied that these forthcoming diplomatic appointments was an indication that the Gaza government was seeking to entrench the division between West Bank and Gaza Strip.