West Bank, April 15 -- The Palestinian Authority government has been sworn in a second time in as many days after the prime minister and his Cabinet failed to recite part of the oath.

Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtayeh, a veteran peace negotiator and harsh critic of Gaza's Hamas rulers, and his 22-member cabinet returned to President Mahmoud Abbas's office on Sunday to take the oath of office a second time.

The ministers neglected to include a clause pledging faithfulness "to the people and its national heritage" during Saturday's ceremony.

Ishtayeh's appointment by Abbas is expected to deepen the rift between the Fatah-party dominated Palestinian Authority, which governs areas of the West Bank, and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that...