Abdullah. Supports PA President
Photo: AP
Abbas. Jordanian backing
Photo: AFP
King Abdullah supports Abbas
In phone call to Abbas, Jordanian King expresses support for Palestinian Authority head, stresses importance of unity in Authority
Jordan's King Abdullah II expressed his support from the neighboring kingdom in a phone call to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Escalation in Strip
Violence in Palestinian Authority escalates Sunday afternoon: Mortar shells fired at Palestinian president's Gaza City office; several people injured. Meanwhile, Hamas says Fatah's takeover of several government offices is a 'military coup'
On Monday, a Jordanian government spokesperson reported that during the phone call King Abdullah stressed the need for unity amongst the Palestinians, and expressed his support for the Palestinian Authority under Abbas' leadership.
Following violent clashes occurring in the Authority over the past few days, the spokesperson said that "in the last phone call between King Abdullah and Abbas, the king stressed the need to work towards achieving unity between the different factions… there is genuine concern for the situation that has been created, but, God willing, no one will stop this unity."
On Friday it was reported that the king called on the Hamas and Fatah leaders to put an end to the fighting and the violent confrontations between their supporters in the streets of Gaza and the West Bank.
In the meantime, the fighting continues. Monday afternoon there was a fire exchange between gunmen from both factions near Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar's office in Gaza.
In another incident, it was reported that armed Palestinians, probably Hamas members, abducted two Palestinian security personnel, as a response to the kidnapping of Hamas activists by Fatah activists Sunday night in the same area.
A few hours earlier, school children clashed with the Palestinian government's special security forces on the Gaza Strip. Seven students were wounded in the clashes.
Three people were injured in another incident in fire exchanges near the Palestinian security staff's headquarters.
