The ruling Hamas and opposition Fatah movement agreed yesterday to form an
inquiry committee to probe the latest clashes between supporters of the two
rival groups in Gaza.
The driver of the Jordanian ambassador to the Palestinian National Authority
(PNA) was killed and nine Palestinians injured during an exchange of fire on
Monday in Gaza City between the new security force formed by the interior
ministry of Hamas-led government and the Preventive Security Force loyal to
Fatah.
The agreement was reached at an urgent meeting between deputies of Hamas and
Fatah at an Egyptian diplomat's house in Gaza City.
Following the three-hour meeting, both sides strongly condemned the latest
bloodshed and urged President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya to
end the tension between their two groups which has escalated since Hamas
deployed the newly formed security force in Gaza on May 17 despite Abbas
annulment.
The two movements condemned the attempts to assassinate intelligence chief
Tareq Abu Rajab and internal security chief Rashid Abu Shbak, both loyal to
Abbas' Fatah, urging those behind the attempts to be brought to justice.
Abu Rajab was critically wounded in an explosion in Palestinian intelligence
headquarters in Gaza City on Saturday.
A bomb was discovered outside the home of Abu Shbak in Gaza City on Sunday,
apparently designed to blow up his convoy.