Hamas West Bank chief urges all factions to hold their fire

Hassan Yusif, the jailed head of Hamas in the West Bank, was quoted Wednesday as urging all Palestinian factions as well as Israel to safeguard the brittle calm of recent months.

Yusif is a Hamas candidate for Palestinian parliament in elections scheduled for late January. He has often taken the lead in the armed Islamic movement in enunciating positions of relative moderation with respect to Israel.

Speaking in prison to an Israel Radio reporter, Yusif was quoted as saying that the taadiya [relative quiet] obligates all Palestinian factions, and that the groups should maintain a unity of positions on the matter.

Israel should also abide by the taadiya, Yusif added.

In the same vein, the Palestinian Authority's Saeb Erekat on Tuesday announced that the Palestinian Authority was contacting world leaders to prevent any Israeli retaliatory action against the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Erekat told reporters that the PA sent several letters to the United States, the European Union and the Quartet Committee urging them to interfere and prevent Israel from carrying out harsh military action against the Palestinians.

Hamas leader Yusif refused on Wednesday to condemn the recent suicide bombing in Netanya, which claimed five lives, saying bombings were prompted by the occupation.

Yusif, referring to the elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, said Hamas is willing to cooperate with all Palestinian parties, but has yet to decide if it will join a new government.