GAZA: Gaza gunbattles rage as Fatah, Hamas discuss truce

Street fighting continued in Gaza on Saturday (February 3) after three days of deadly factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah. Senior offficials from rival Fatah and Hamas factions agreed on Saturday to implement immediately a ceasefire aimed at stopping Palestinian violence in Gaza, Interior Minister Saeed Seyam of Hamas said. Speaking after talks with Fatah security official Rashid Abu Shbak, Seyam said the two sides agreed to withdraw their gunmen from Gaza streets and rooftops, remove checkpoints, and halt media incitement. Successive previous ceasefire deals have broken down in renewed fighting. Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called for an immediate ceasefire and called on all gunmen to withdraw from the streets. "But I say, after the violation of each ceasefire agreement, those agreements are not important anymore. The important thing is the will to commit to what has been agreed upon. The important thing is the will to follow by the sincere commitment to implement the detailed agreement. Enough with agreements and statements when the situation on the ground stays the same. From here I reiterate my call to the people of Palestine, to all our brothers on the Palestinian territories to have a ceasefire immediately and I call on all gunmen to withdraw from the streets and all the security forces to go back to their positions and strongholds," Haniyeh said. "I say to my brother Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) the President to send clear and unequivocal instructions to the security forces, the presidential guard, the national security, and all security forces that belong to the presidential guard to commit to what would be agreed on and to return to their positions. All what the subject matter needs is a strong decision and not keeping the situation as it is," he added.

ITN Source | February 3, 2007

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