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Palestinians marking the anniversary of Fatah movement in Ramallah (Reuters)
Last update - 17:24 01/01/2008
Two Gazans killed as clashes between Fatah, Hamas continue
By Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies
Tags: Hamas, Israel, Fatah 

Clashes between Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip continued for a second day Tuesday, as two Palestinians were killed in a gun battle between Hamas security men and a family affiliated with Fatah.

According to medical officials and Hamas, the two men killed in the fighting were a Fatah supporter and a Hamas policeman, bringing the total death count to eight since the clashes broke out Monday.

Meanwhile, Hamas signaled to Israel that it would agree to a lull in fighting.
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On Monday, the 43rd anniversary of the establishment of Fatah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to cede control over the Gaza Strip and return to reconciliation talks and early elections. Hours after his speech, internecine fighting broke out between Fatah and Hamas in Gaza, killing at least six and injuring 70.

Medical officials said one of the dead was a Hamas police officer, another was a teenager and a third was a Fatah supporter.

Fatah said dozens of its activists were arrested overnight, and that one of its leaders in Gaza City was briefly detained by Hamas forces who shaved off half his hair and mustache as humiliation. Hamas denied the charge. Islam Shahwan, a spokesman for Hamas security forces, confirmed
only that his men made a number of arrests.

These were the first fatalities in Fatah-Hamas fighting since November 11, when Hamas forces opened fire on a huge Fatah rally, killing eight and wounding about 85.

In the anniversary speech Monday that lasted almost an hour and a half, Abbas offered to talk to Hamas.

"I renew the option of early elections... and I pledge that I will do my best to ensure this election will be the product of a deep and brotherly understanding," Abbas said in his speech.

"I urge all, Fatah and Hamas movements and all other Palestinian factions, to study this alternative and not to rush, as usual, to reject it".

He also called on Hamas "to open a new page in relations within our Palestinian home," in a conciliatory tone.

Hamas spokesman Barhoum said that while the group was ready for dialogue with Fatah, it would not accept Abbas' demand to first give up control of the Strip.

"Abbas is betting on the American-Zionist project and not on dialogue with Hamas," Barhoum told a news conference in Gaza. "We renew our readiness and willingness to restore dialogue with Fatah without conditions."

Hamas signals it would agree to a lull in fighting with Israel

Hamas has signaled to Israel, through various interlocutors, that it would agree to a tahdiye (a lull) in the fighting in the Gaza Strip, even though there is still no agreement within the radical Islamist group about such option.

Hamas is trying to reach agreement with other radical groups in the Gaza Strip, in order to halt the rocket and mortar attacks against Israel.

However, within Hamas itself, there is opposition to any form of compromise with Israel, Haaretz has learned from spokesmen of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip.

In a conversation with Haaretz, Taher al-Nunu, spokesman for the administration, Hamas has wanted a tahdiye for some time which would include a stop of Israeli offensive operations, in return for an end to Palestinian attacks, including rocket barrages.

Al-Nunu explained that the closing down of the crossing points by Israel following the Hamas takeover of the Strip in June, has caused great suffering to the population, but did not say that lifting the siege would be one of the conditions for a lull in the fighting.

However, a source close to former PA prime minister and Hamas leader in the Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, said that "the tahdiye must include an opening of the border crossings for the passage of goods and people, and the lifting of the economic embargo on the Strip."

The same source explained that "tahdiye is different from a hudna (a cease-fire). The meaning is that tahdiye will be of short duration, only a few months, and not a hudna which may be a temporary solution, but can be the start of a longer diplomatic framework. There is no new policy of the organization or the government, but there is no point in an end to the assassinations policy [the IDF targeting of militants] if the siege will continue and the crossings remain closed."

The Hamas movement's spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, told Haaretz that any lull in the fighting must be comprehensive.

"If Israel ceases all forms of aggression, including arrests, assassinations, invasions, and also opens the crossings and lifts the siege on the Strip, Hamas will consider favorably taking steps on behalf of the Palestinian people, in the form of a tahdiye."

But Hamas is not only experiencing difficulties formulating a common position within the organization, but is also finding that talks with Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees are also proving inconclusive due to differences of opinion among factions within those groups.

Related articles:
  • Five killed as violence erupts at Fatah rally in Gaza Strip
  • Two Hamas militants wounded in internal violence in Gaza Strip
  • Dozens of Fatah supporters stage mass break-out from Rafah camp
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      1.   Oh Suffering.. 02:21  |  GPS 01/01/08
      2.   From a pacifist 02:29  |  hanoi 01/01/08
      3.   Hamas` conditions - everything or we`ll kill you 02:35  |  William 01/01/08
      4.   No "Lull" - Surrender 02:40  |  Jane 01/01/08
      5.   the hudna always been there 03:23  |  muslim 01/01/08
      6.   Tahdiye - Shamhdiye... 03:26  |  Fortuna Benmayor 01/01/08
      7.   2. jane of zion 03:29  |  muslim 01/01/08
      8.   No lull for Hamas 03:35  |  Nechama 01/01/08
      9.   They only want a "Lull" because they are losing 05:23  |  Efox 01/01/08
      10.   Muslim, the offer I would offer you 05:26  |  Denton 01/01/08
      11.   re: muslim 05:36  |  Efox 01/01/08
      12.   muslim - What would muslims do? 05:42  |  17 01/01/08
      13.   From Jew to a Muslim 05:44  |  Simon 01/01/08
      14.   Hamas is in shambles 05:59  |  Conroy 01/01/08
      15.   NUTS 05:59  |  Henry 01/01/08
      16.   Hamas not different from Fatah 06:04  |  MiddleStanian 01/01/08
      17.   #4 Muslim, the hunda always been there??? 06:06  |  Conroy 01/01/08
      18.   lullabye 06:33  |  ze`ev 01/01/08
      19.   tahdiye, hudna what`s the difference? 06:37  |  Chick 01/01/08
      20.   Lol ermm Lul 06:38  |  Kringe 01/01/08
      21.   so many piggies and 06:39  |  muslim 01/01/08
      22.   Lull in fighting 06:47  |  * BEN JABO 01/01/08
      23.   ALWAYS ask for a breather when they are busy killing each other 06:54  |  PETER SM 01/01/08
      24.   I blame Israel for this infighting and violence 07:37  |  Dutch 01/01/08
      25.   Peace with Hamas is a threat to Israeli expansion 07:45  |  Natallie Durson 01/01/08
      26.   # 3 Jane, The real villian is Israel 07:57  |  Dutch 01/01/08
      27.   Muslim 08:26  |  17 01/01/08
      28.   Hamas agrees...don`t say thanks yet 08:33  |  GPS 01/01/08
      29.   NDURSON.Please quote where Hamas says they want Peace ? 08:34  |  PETER SM 01/01/08
      30.   Israel needs to put more pressure on Hamas not let up now 08:35  |  Shepherd 01/01/08
      31.   Hamas should agree to: 08:41  |  Nahum 01/01/08
      32.   #21 Dutch, if you are correct about blaming Israel... 08:50  |  Conroy 01/01/08
      33.   #5 - a hudna is of no value to any non-Muslim country! 08:59  |  redmike 01/01/08
      34.   Everybody together: Lull lull lull lull lull lull lull lull 09:34  |  Paul Lennon 01/01/08
      35.   How about having a lull from POOP, Nazillie, Fool and Duct? 09:36  |  Dan 01/01/08
      36.   WHEN U HAVE EM BY THE THROAT SQUEEZE 09:40  |  Roger 01/01/08
      37.   WHEN U HAVE HAMAS BY THE THROAT, SQUEEZE 09:41  |  Roger 01/01/08
      38.   NO WAY JOSE 10:24  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 01/01/08
      39.   Dutch who says Isreal has too 10:38  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/01/08
      40.   To Dutch 10:41  |  RF 01/01/08
      41.   Peace is the destruction of hamas 10:41  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/01/08
      42.   Has Hamas met the conditions required by the international 10:42  |  Yael 01/01/08
      43.   Natallie-Peaceful Hamas??? 10:43  |  Major R 01/01/08
      44.   Question for Yael # 43 10:59  |  Clickfool 01/01/08
      45.   For Shepherd # 31 11:02  |  Clickfool 01/01/08
      46.   hamas incapable of peace 11:03  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/01/08
      47.   For Dan in Haifa # 36 11:06  |  Clickfool 01/01/08
      48.   dutch & durson: Are you ONE PERSON? 11:09  |  Vittorio 01/01/08
      49.   Palestinians killing each other 11:10  |  Edifice 01/01/08
      50.   The pressure is working, so increase it 11:15  |  Moshe 01/01/08
      51.   Simple: "Drop Your Weapons, Come out with your hands up!" 11:23  |  Marl Hamil 01/01/08
      52.   To American in NY, wherever you disapeared. 11:24  |  S 01/01/08
      53.   #41 RF, Israel`s half ass pullout from Gaza 11:36  |  Dutch 01/01/08
      54.   Elections 11:38  |  Colin Wright 01/01/08
      55.   We pull out of Gaza, Hamas`s repsonse 11:39  |  Levi 01/01/08
      56.   clausewitz told everybody who would listen 11:46  |  moshemoshe 01/01/08
      57.   Are all of Israels supporters as lazy as they are dim? 11:49  |  Natallie Durson 01/01/08
      58.   To Dutch and the Rest 11:50  |  RF 01/01/08
      59.   what sort of military strategy is this 11:50  |  moshemoshe 01/01/08
      60.   #50 ST. Edifice 11:51  |  Dav 01/01/08
      61.   we feed them we give them work 11:51  |  moshemoshe 01/01/08
      62.   Hamastan has been taken over by Hamas. No use 11:52  |  Lila 01/01/08
      63.   clickfool judea and samaria are jewish ancestral 11:55  |  uzi 01/01/08
      64.   hamas wants a ceasefire 12:00  |  moshemoshe 01/01/08
      65.   natallie durson and the killing of children 12:03  |  harzion 01/01/08
      66.   tahdiyeh-- the killings continue 12:11  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/01/08
      67.   #53, S 12:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/01/08
      68.   For Uzi # 64 12:17  |  Clickfool 01/01/08
      69.   the hills of judea and samaria are the high land dominating 12:18  |  tuvia raviv 01/01/08
      70.   muslim you shouldn`t call your own people piggies 12:21  |  Iz Ray Leigh 01/01/08
      71.   HONOR & HUMILIATION, fatah-hamas 12:22  |  FOX 01/01/08
      72.   natallie durson hamas is israel`s sworn enemy 12:22  |  eliyahu 01/01/08
      73.   For Harzion, on child murders # 66 12:22  |  Clickfool 01/01/08
      74.   Dutch hard to believe that NOW you blame Israel 12:23  |  Double Dutch 01/01/08
      75.   Hudna hootenany 12:28  |  FOX 01/01/08
      76.   RF Israelis could be wondering Jews again 12:29  |  Dutch 01/01/08
      77.   No Preconditions 12:30  |  Clickfool 01/01/08
      78.   Meaningless garbage from Eliyahu # 73 12:33  |  Clickfool 01/01/08
      79.   #64, stolen land twice 12:37  |  Dav 01/01/08
      80.