This morning saw more clashes outside the residence of President Abbas. The two rival factions have announced an agreement regarding the cessation of hostilities but a proper accord remains a distant dream.

Gaza City (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Tense calm prevailed this morning in Gaza after dawn shootings outside the office of the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

The two rival Palestinian factions announced a cease-fire overnight after clashes in recent days raised fears of civil war.

Meanwhile three people were killed in Gaza City yesterday in different attacks: the convoy of the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister – who was not hurt – came under fire and mortars targeted the office of Abbas in Ramallah.

Prime Minister Haniyeh accused the president of the National Palestinian Authority of worsening the political crisis by calling early parliamentary and presidential elections. The Hamas leader has already announced his party would boycott the ballot that Abbas may hold within three months.

Egyptian mediators and representatives of Palestinian factions worked hard all day yesterday to reach an agreement, which was announced at a press conference at night not attended by Hamas or Fatah.

It was Rabbah Muhanna of the small Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who gave news of the truce: "Both sides are serious about the agreement," he said. Serious doubts about compliance were fuelled by different interpretations of the agreement.

Hamas wants to resume negotiations for the formation of a national unity government but Fatah representatives have specified that the accord only stipulates a cessation of hostilities in Gaza Strip and West Bank. And anonymous sources within Hamas have confirmed this, saying agreement was reached about cessation of violence but a proper accord has not been hammered out yet.

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• hamas
• fatah
• elections
• early
• gaza
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