Calm dominates Gaza following five bloody days of clashes

Following five days of violence and armed confrontations between rival Fatah and Hamas movements' militants in streets of Gaza Strip, calm prevailed Tuesday amid fears that a truce agreement might collapse.

Several Palestinian factions welcomed on Tuesday the cease-fire agreement reached last night between Fatah and Hamas, and also welcomed an Egyptian proposal to form a national army comprises all Palestinian groups.

The Egyptian offer was disclosed by Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas who spoke in Gaza after an Egyptian security team brokered an inter-Palestinian ceasefire to stop clashes between the governing Hamas and rival Fatah.

Jamal Nazzal, a spokesman for Fatah movement which dominates most of security services, welcomed the Egyptian plan, saying that Fatah was willing to let everyone join the security agencies.

"We call for unifying all security apparatus under a united command," Nazzal added.

The Egyptian suggestion came after four days of deadly clashes between forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and militants of the ruling Hamas movement.

"Hamas stresses the necessity of reshuffling the security services so they represent all colors of the Palestinian spectrum, " said Fawzi Barhoom, a spokesman for Hamas.

"Now it's quiet. Though the shots were heard in the city after the ceasefire took effect, since the morning they (militants) stopped fighting," said Mohamed Saqqa, a Gaza citizen.

The shops, especially in downtown Gaza where several confrontations took place, are reopening now and it seems to be a normal day.

Schools are off these days, they are in midterm holiday.

Meanwhile, security members were withdrawn and took up positions in the places where they used to deploy before the incidents (around major security headquarters).

But militants of Hamas' Auxiliary Forces were seen standing on some streets.

"Most of the people convinced that this was a temporary ceasefire that will collapse at any time as long as no agreement was reached on forming the unity government," said Abdalla Rayyan, a Gaza taxi driver.

Palestinian analyst Hani Habib from Gaza said that any solution on the ground must be linked with a political settlement.

"As far as we know that all hostages were released following the deal that took effect at 3:00 a.m.(0100 GMT) Tuesday," said a Palestinian national security official, standing at a corner of Gaza City's main street Omer al-Mukhtar, he declined to give his name.

Meanwhile, politicians said that Mecca meeting would be the last chance for the factions to agree to the unity government. Moreover, some news websites close to Fatah said that Abbas would set the date for early elections if the Mecca talks, scheduled on February, failed.

Palestinian sources at Abbas office said that Ahme Qureia, former Prime Minister would head Fatah delegation and Khaled Meshaal, Hamas chief based in Damascus would head Hamas movement's delegation.

Of course the truce provides suitable atmosphere for talks, but Hamas supporters, writing on their forum, accuses the "coup-makers " among Fatah of being not interested to reach a deal.

Hamas said that these Fatah guys would work to block any deal by making troubles again.

Source: Xinhua