Hamas, Fatah strike new ceasefire deal
Israel won't let up in its strikes against militants
Ap, Gaza City
Negotiators from the rival Hamas and Fatah movements reached a new ceasefire deal yesterday, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said.The agreement was worked out in a meeting at the Egyptian Embassy in Gaza, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the matter with reporters. Previous agreements reached in the past week of deadly factional fighting quickly collapsed, and it was not clear if this one would hold. Under the new truce agreement, both sides pledged to pull their fighters off the streets and to exchange hostages later Saturday. Earlier, Israel's defence minister warned that Israel will not let up in its strikes against Hamas and that militants firing rockets on Israeli border towns should be "very afraid." But Amir Peretz also said the time is not right for a major ground offensive in Gaza. The Hamas rocket barrage on Israeli border towns came during a week of deadly clashes between the Islamic militant group and Abbas' Fatah movement. A series of Israeli air strikes has driven Hamas fighters out of their bases and prompted accusations that Israel is helping Fatah. Peretz insisted Israel is not interfering in the internal fighting. However, he also said that "we certainly would like the moderate forces to emerge with the upper hand," a reference to Fatah. Shortly after Peretz spoke on Israel Radio, an Israeli aircraft fired missiles toward a rocket squad near the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, the army said. Hospital officials said two Palestinians were killed and four wounded in the strike. Earlier Saturday, missile strikes demolished two suspected Hamas metal workshops. Saturday's deaths brought to 22 the number of Palestinians killed in air strikes in the past week. In Gaza City, Hamas and Fatah gunmen clashed near the Islamic University, a Hamas stronghold, and two Fatah fighters were injured. The weeklong Hamas-Fatah fighting has killed more than 50 Palestinians and wounded dozens. The clashes have all but destroyed a coalition deal between the two rivals. Abbas spoke late Friday to the supreme Hamas leader, Damascus-based Khaled Mashaal, who urged senior Hamas and Fatah officials to meet.
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