posted December 17, 2006 11:56 PM              

Fragile Cease-Fire Takes Hold in Gaza Strip
Fighting Erupted After President Abbas Called for Early Elections

By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters

GAZA (Dec. 17) - A ceasefire took tentative hold on Monday between Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah after days of heavy fighting pushed the Gaza Strip to the brink of civil war.


A Palestinian youth holds a poster of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Muhammed Muheisen, AP
A Palestinian youth holds a poster of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a rally supporting Abbas and the Fatah movement in the West Bank town of Ramallah Sunday.

Talk About It: Post Thoughts

It was unclear whether the fragile deal would last as groups of heavily armed gunmen from both sides continued to roam the tense streets.

There were sporadic exchanges of fire, including an incident in which two members of a Hamas-led police force were wounded moments after the agreement was announced.

The ruling Hamas movement, which won January elections, has rejected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's call for new polls. Previous accords between the factions have fallen apart.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Israel just before Hamas and Abbas's Fatah announced the deal on Sunday night. Blair will hold talks on Monday with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The ceasefire agreement calls for the rival factions to pull back their fighters and release men abducted by each side. It also calls for Abbas's security forces to end a day-long siege of two Hamas-led government ministries.

Fatah said the agreement does not call for a resumption of stalled unity government talks, as asserted by Hamas, which took control of the Palestinian Authority in March after their parliamentary election victory.

The ceasefire deal followed heated accusations on Sunday by Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, that Abbas's security men had launched a "military coup" against the Hamas-led government.

STREET BATTLES

Forces loyal to Hamas and Fatah fought street and rooftop gun battles across Gaza on Sunday. A senior paramilitary commander loyal to Abbas was found dead after being abducted and a 19-year-old university student was killed in the crossfire.

Abbas called on Saturday for fresh presidential and parliamentary elections, a dramatic move that sought to lift crippling Western sanctions imposed on the Hamas government.

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Abbas said early polls should be held as soon as possible. But he also said efforts to form a unity government should continue despite repeated failure.

The Palestinian basic law, which acts as a constitution, has no provision for early elections. Fatah says Abbas can call them through a presidential decree. Hamas says that would be illegal.

Hamas has insisted it will never recognize the Jewish state, making it unclear how any unity government could get off the ground and satisfy Western powers, which cut aid to pressure Hamas to soften its stance.

In talks with Abbas, Blair will discuss ways to expand a European aid program for the Palestinians that bypasses the Hamas-led government.

Blair has set great store on reviving Middle East peacemaking before he leaves office next year.

Additional reporting by Katherine Baldwin.

12/17/06 18:45 ET