'Hamas responsible for recent flare-up'

Vice Premier Shimon Peres is scheduled to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia Saturday, on the sidelines of an international economic summit gathering political and business leaders seeking solutions to Middle East intricacies.

"We are in constant contact about the withdrawal from Gaza, economic and social aspects and the day after the withdrawal," Peres said, referring to Qureia.

He said both sides had many issues to discuss related to the aftermath of the pullout.

"To prepare for after the withdrawal, we have to start now," he said. "It's planning. It's very complicated. There are a lot of details,"

Some 1,300 business and political leaders - including some of the region's adversaries, like Israel and Syria - are taking part in the meetings of the World Economic Forum.

'We shall overcome it'

In response to the past three days of Israeli-Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip, Peres said that Hamas is responsible for the recent flare-up.

"It's a harassment. It was a protest by Hamas against the Palestinian Authority," Peres said, adding he believes the organization is trying to respond to re-elections in certain Palestinian areas called for by the PA.

"I hope we shall overcome it," he said. "We do not want to escalate."