Two Palestinian security officers were killed on Wednesday morning in a gunbattle erupted in Gaza City, just hours after a ceasefire agreement was reached between rival Hamas and Fatah factions, medics and security sources reported.

Eyewitnesses said that unknown militants opened fire at several Hamas militants in Gaza City, adding that a force of Hamas-led government's Interior Ministry auxiliary force arrived at the scene in Sabra neighborhood, where a gunbattle lasted for an hour.

Palestinian security sources confirmed that two security officers were killed, saying that the auxiliary force militants used heavy gunfire and fired missiles at the Palestinian security forces.

Palestinian medics also said that two were killed, who are also cousins, and seven were injured, two of them are in critical conditions.

The Palestinian security sources said that efforts are now exerted to stop any more development that might cause a collapse of a ceasefire agreement reached between Interior Minister Said Siam and chief of police as well as the security forces.

On Tuesday night, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya accepted the ceasefire agreement, which was also sponsored by Egypt and the Islamic Conference Organization.

The ceasefire was taken effect at 23:00 (2100 GMT) Tuesday night in the Gaza Strip.

Tension between Fatah and Hamas movements mounted after Abbas called for early presidential and legislative elections on Saturday, a move rejected by Hamas immediately.

On Tuesday, at least six Palestinians were killed, four of them are security officers and two are members in the auxiliary forces of the Interior Ministry.

Source: Xinhua