Gunmen in Gaza Sunday
Photo: Reuters
Fatah, Hamas reach deal to halt fighting in Gaza
Following deaths of four operatives and abductions of dozens on both sides in Gaza clashes Sunday, Hamas and Fatah agree to ceasefire mediated by Egypt
Fatah and Hamas reached an agreement to halt violence between the factions in the Gaza Strip.
Violence
Reuters
Four people killed in clashes between Fatah, Hamas-linked gunmen in worst outbreak of internal fighting since February; Hamas says 15 of its supporters abducted
The ceasefire talks were mediated by an Egyptian delegation, after four Palestinians were killed Saturday and 20 more were wounded in inter-factional gun battles.
At the height of Sunday's clashes, organizations on both sides claimed to have abducted dozens of group members from the rivaling organizations.
Prior to the signing of the agreement, Hamas and Fatah gunmen continued to trade accusations regarding which side was responsible for the renewed outbreak of violence.
In the framework of efforts to calm the situation, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh met and discussed the need to put a stop to the escalation and preserve the unity deal signed by the factions three months ago.
Tensions between Fatah and Hamas have increased in recent days following the deployment of Fatah-linked Palestinian security forces across the Strip, without Hamas' consent.
