Would fragile ceasefire in Palestine last ?

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-18-2006 15:16

A ceasefire between Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah took hold tentatively on Monday. The agreement came after a day of bloodshed in which President Mahmoud Abbas' offices came under mortar fire and Fatah forces seized two ministers. But now it's unclear whether the fragile deal would last as groups of heavily armed gunmen from both sides continued to roam the streets.

Children sheltering behind wall with gunfire ring out

Will there be more than the wall for these children to shelter from violence, as Hamas and Fatah reached a ceasefire deal? The two rivals agreed to stop fighting, following mediation by leaders of two smaller factions: Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Islamic Jihad leader Dawood Shihab said, "The following points were agreed: stop immediately, all kinds of open fire and end all kinds of military action, and remove all military elements from the streets. Also all security forces should go back to their situation to their positions before the event."

The retreat refers to the end of Abbas' military siege of two Hamas-led government ministries. Fatah has not yet said, whether it will agree to these points.

Witnesses say gunfire still can be heard near Abbas' office in Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian president is working on a date for early elections.

Palestinan Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said, " The Palestinian government refuses the call for early legislative elections, because it is an unconstitutional call."

Senior Fatah officials say the election could not be held before the middle of next year for legal and technical reasons. Though the truce did not indicate when they would go back to stalled unity government talks, many hope that Fatah and Hamas will return to negotiating table, before Palestinians go to polls.

Editor:Du Xiaodan