Palestinian parliament speaker Ahmed Qureia has agreed in principle to take over as prime minister, sources close to him said Monday, following the res-ignation of Mahmoud Abbas.

　　Qureia has long been the No.3 leader in Fatah, after Arafat and Abbas. Seen as a moderate and a pragmatist, he was a key player in thesecret talks that led to the 1993 Oslo accords, which led to Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza. He also led the Palestinians in negotiations with Israel in the following years.

　　The 65-year-old politician is considered one of the few Pales-tinians who have credibility with Israel but also count on the important support of Arafat.