WEST BANK/GAZA: Palestinians leaders call on militants to preserve fragile Gaza truce

Both Fatah and Hamas leaders called Monday (December 18) on militants of all factions to maintain fragile truce in Gaza between the rival factions. "We hope that everyone will commit to the truce so we can move on to the future steps," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah after he met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. After the meeting between the two leaders they held a joint news conference in which Abbas promised to push on with new election plans and Blair expressed his support of these efforts. The shaky truce between forces loyal to Abbas and the Hamas government appeared to be holding -- despite several violations -- after days of heavy fighting pushed the Gaza Strip to the brink of civil war. Fighting escalated after Abbas of Fatah called on Saturday (December 16) for fresh presidential and parliamentary elections, a move intended to break political deadlock with Hamas and lift crippling Western sanctions on its administration. Officials from Hamas and Fatah were expected to meet on Monday to try to cement the ceasefire. Previous deals to end internal fighting this year have quickly collapsed. In a news conference held in Gaza City, Palestinian Interior Minister Saeed Seyam of Hamas expressed hopes that the truce will last. "I congratulate the brothers in Hamas and Fatah on the agreement they reached with the help of the factions. We pray to God that this agreement will hold and that parties will abide by it in order to save the blood of our people," Seyam told reporters. On the streets pf Gaza, residents said they hoped the truce wold ve the first step on a road to peace. "Honestly we support this truce agreement that was reached and support it on the basis that daily life will go on and people can live in peace and stability instead of living between gunfire and exchanges of gunfire between each other," said Walid Al-Haj. Forces loyal to Hamas and Fatah fought street and rooftop gunbattles across Gaza on Sunday. At least three people were killed and 20 wounded. The Hamas Islamists, which surprised the once dominant Fatah to win January elections, has said it would boycott new polls. The two factions had tried for months to form a unity government to end a bitter power struggle, but talks foundered, partly over Hamas's insistence on not recognising Israel. The ceasefire deal followed heated accusations on Sunday by Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, that Abbas's security men had launched a "military coup" against the Hamas government in Gaza. The truce calls for the rival factions to pull back their fighters. It also calls for Abbas's security forces to end a day-long siege of the two Hamas-led government ministries. Fatah said the agreement does not call for a resumption of stalled unity government talks, as asserted by Hamas, which took control of the Palestinian Authority in March. Abbas has said early elections should be held as soon as possible. But he also said efforts to form a unity government should continue. The Palestinian basic law, which acts as a constitution, has no provision for early elections. Fatah says Abbas can call them through a presidential decree. Hamas says that would be illegal. Hamas has insisted it will never recognise the Jewish state, making it unclear how any unity government could get off the ground and satisfy Western powers.

ITN Source | December 18, 2006

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