Signals of new power struggle between rival Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah have blocked plans to restore security in the lawlessness Gaza and warned of burst as the authority failed to maintain ceasefire with Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the moderate leader of Fatah, came to Gaza on Sunday in a bid to discuss reasons that pushed Interior Minister Hani al-Qawasmeh to threaten to resign.

Al-Qawasmeh, an independent closed to Hamas, is the author of a security plan that aims at restoring order and discipline in the Gaza Strip and ending a mounting status of lawlessness and chaos.

Abbas held a meeting with Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas but failed to convince al-Qawasmeh to withdraw his resignation. They have agreed to hold another meeting between Abbas and al- Qawasmeh.

After he took office in March and presented his security plan, al-Qawasmeh complained that chiefs of security loyal to Abbas are not showing any kind of cooperation in order to succeed his plan.

But Ghazi Hamad, the government spokesman, insisted the meeting held on Sunday in Gaza did not fail.

"No issues were discussed in last night meeting because it was designated to review the security conditions in a quiet and friendly atmosphere," Hamad said.

Hamad added that President Abbas had promised to "do his best to make the interior minister's mission successful."

However, Al-Qawasmeh has suspended his security plans, which has been approved by the national unity government. He is still threatening to resign if he was not given full control and authority on the security apparatuses.

The war of words between Hamas and Fatah has made the two sides busy, giving a space for smaller factions, which have nothing to do with the power-sharing, to step up rocket attacks against Israel.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement took responsibility for most of the rockets that were fired recently into southern Israel, sparking Israeli threats to launch an offensive against the Gaza Strip.

Later, Abbas warned that the continuation of rockets attacks from Gaza at Israel would lead to the collapse of a fragile cease- fire reached between him and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last November.

Israeli Radio reported that at least 220 projectiles and homemade rockets were fired from Gaza at southern Israel since Abbas-Olmert agreement on a cease-fire.

To save the situation, chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) was ready to deploy forces near the border with Israel to prevent attacks by makeshift rockets.

But Erekat said the world must give assurances that Israel will not violate the state of calmness in order to make the ceasefire mutual and binding.

President Abbas reiterated criticism of Palestinian rocket attacks, saying that they were behind the collapse of the ceasefire.

Source: Xinhua