Rival Palestinian factions have agreed a truce amongst themselves and forged a united front to denounce inter-factional kidnappings and violence in the Palestinian territories, press reports said.
“We announce all of the military wings are united in their position and faith and that we consider any attack on any one of us as an attack on us all,” eight factions, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, said in a statement this weekend.
“Any action aimed at spreading chaos or internal strife ... will be considered treason,” said the statement, issued at a Gaza news conference attended by gunmen, some of them masked. “Our response will be unified and swift.”
Earlier Palestinian president Mr Mahmoud Abbas called on all factions to abide by the law in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
A presidency spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdeina said that the factions must not give Israel excuses to continue its policy of targeted assassination and to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure.
Until the announcing of their united front, kkidnapping and killings of militants by rival factions were said to be common. Just few days before the groups met and agreed their truce, Hassan Safi, a senior Hamas leader in Bethlehem was abducted by unidentified gunmen in the West Bank but was released within hours.
Safi, and two other Hamas leaders were kidnapped by a group called itself “Al-Farouk Omar Bin Al-Khattab group.”
Since Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, there have been clashes between militants and Palestinian police. Three people were killed and fifty wounded in firefights between Hamas gunmen and Palestinian police last week.
President Abbas has called on militant groups, which were responsible for several attacks against Israeli targets, to end what he describes as armed chaos and stop carrying their weapons in public.
Israel has complained he has not gone far enough and must disarm the factions and dismantle “terrorist infrastructure” in accordance with a US-backed “road map” that charts mutual steps leading to the creation of a Palestinian state.
Mr Abbas, who declared a truce with Israeli leader Ariel Sharon last February and coaxed militants into announcing a “period of calm” until the end of the year, wants to co-opt gunmen rather than confront them, citing fears of civil war.
In the meantime a planned summit between Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas has been called off after both sides could not compromise on some issues.
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom reaffirmed Sharon’s refusal to restart talks on Palestinian statehood until Abbas cracked down on militants, saying “Our demand is unequivocal: they have to act against terrorism decisively.”
Lebanon, Palestinians talks arms
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora agreed with the main Palestinian factions on Saturday to begin talks to resolve a row over the fate of Palestinian arms in the country, reports said.
Palestinian guerrillas in Lebanon went on alert Friday after Lebanese troops built up their positions around Palestinian refugee camps and military camps, raising fears the stand-off could escalate into violence.
Both sides played down such fears after two meetings, saying they were committed to hammering out the issue peacefully.
“An agreement was reached with Prime Minister Siniora to create a follow-up committee to discuss all issues including the issue of arms,” Islamic Jihad official Abu Imad al-Rifai told Reuters.
The question of Palestinian arms has been high on the agenda since Syrian troops left Lebanon in April after 29 years.
The U.N. Security Council resolution that demanded Syria end its domination of Lebanon also calls for the disarming of all militias there, a reference to Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas and Palestinian factions, most of which are backed by Syria.
“There is no need for weapons outside the refugee camps, which do not serve the Palestinian cause and are not accepted by the Lebanese. As for weapons inside the camps, these will be dealt with through dialogue,” Siniora said in a statement.
“The government is not in confrontation with Palestinian factions and has no intention of being so.”
