Russia urges Palestinian factions to cease feuding

Russia expressed concern on Tuesday over the increasing violence on the Palestinian territories and urged Palestinian forces to cease feuding.

"Moscow is concerned over increasing instability on the Palestinian territories and more frequent instances of resolving differences by force," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said.

The situation may result in serious consequences, including on fulfillment of the national aspirations of the Palestinians, Kamynin said.

"We believe all political forces should return to a legal framework, to cease feuding and to unite around the central idea -- the creation of an independent Palestinian state," he said.

Russia is a member of the international Quartet mediating for peace in the Middle East, which also includes the United States, the United Nations and the European Union.

Fatah militants set fire to the Hamas-led cabinet offices and the Palestinian parliament building in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday night in retaliation of a Hamas attack earlier on the Fatah-dominated preventive security building in the Gaza strip.

Hamas took power following its surprising victory over long- dominant Fatah in the Jan. 25 parliamentary elections.

But political disagreement between the two main Palestinian rival factions escalated armed clashes and prompted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to call a referendum on a statehood plan which implies recognition of Israel on July 26 after a national dialogue failed to reach agreement.

Source: Xinhua