A Palestinian toddler and a Palestinian man were killed by gunfire during clashes between Fatah and Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, in a second straight day of factional fighting since the formation of a unity government.

Aiming to quell the tensions, Fatah's Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas agreed to step up contacts between both sides, a Haniyeh aide said.

The toddler, 2, was killed Thursday evening as Fatah and Hamas gunmen exchanged gunfire in the northern Gaza Strip, medics said. They said that a female relative of the boy was wounded also by the gunshots.

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Earlier Thursday, a Palestinian civilian was shot to death during a showdown between his Fatah-affiliated family and members of a Hamas militia in the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials said.

Samir Hilles, 48, was trying to mediate between Hamas militants and members of his family, who blocked the vehicle the militiamen were driving, forced out its six occupants and torched it.

Gunfire erupted after militia reinforcements arrived, and Hilles was killed, Hamas said.

"Unfortunately, elements interested in creating an explosive atmosphere are creating new internal tensions," said Ayman Taher of Hamas, a liaison with Fatah in the Gaza Strip.

"What happened yesterday and now cannot be justified, and we are calling on our brothers in Fatah to do their utmost to restore calm and end this atmosphere of tension," he added.

In an interview with Reuters, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas called the upsurge in violence "unfortunate" and said the new interior minister would soon meet Hamas and Fatah leaders in Gaza

The new Palestinian interior minister, Hani Kawasmi, convened security commanders from Gaza and the West Bank in Gaza City on Thursday to put together a comprehensive plan to end the ongoing chaos, said Ramzi Shaheen, a spokesman for police in Gaza.

Israel Defense Forces soldiers clashed with Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militants near Hebron on Thursday. One of the militants was seriously injured and at least three were captured, Palestinian security sources
said.

IDF soldiers fired on two Palestinians who were moving in a suspicious manner near the Gaza Strip security fence and ignored calls to stop, Israel Radio reported. One of the Palestinians was wounded in his lower body.

Earlier Thursday, four masked Palestinian gunmen carjacked a United Nations-marked vehicle in Gaza City, in the latest act of violence against UN workers in the coastal strip, a spokesman for the UN's refugee mission in Gaza said.

The gunmen blocked a vehicle marked with the emblem of the UN Relief and Works Agency with their own car, and forced out the driver, who was traveling alone, said Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the agency in the Gaza Strip. The driver, an unidentified Palestinian staffer, was unharmed.

Although carjackings are prevalent in Gaza, they almost always involve locals. Parked UN cars have been stolen, however, and just last week, gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying the UNRWA chief in Gaza, John Ging. Bullets were fired at Ging's vehicle, but no one was hurt in the kidnap attempt.

UNRWA has about 11,000 staffers operating in Gaza. Abu Hasna had no immediate comment on whether the increasing violence might cause the mission to revise its operations.

Also Thursday, a Hamas-affiliated university professor kidnapped by gunmen was released, officials from Hamas said.

The professor, Hamad al-Sousi, was abducted Wednesday as he left evening prayers at a mosque south of Gaza City. There was no official claim of responsibility, but Hamas officials blamed the rival Fatah for the incident.

The Hamas officials who reported the professor's release spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

Hamas and Fatah have often used kidnapping as a weapon in their often violent struggle for power, which has killed more than 140 Palestinians from last May until a cease-fire was called in early February.

The infighting between the two factions was supposed to end with the formation of a national unity government last week. But on Wednesday, a 24-year-old man was killed and two were seriously wounded in an armed clash between Fatah and Hamas supporters.

Fatah spokesman Abdel Hakim Awad told the AP on Wednesday that Al-Sousi had been apparently kidnapped by Fatah sympathizers in response to the shooting.

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