The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday called for an immediate halt to violence between Palestinian factions.

The council, which was holding its ninth summit meeting here, asked the Palestinians to observe the agreement signed in Mecca in February, when a Palestinian unity government was brokered.

All Palestinian factions should stop hostile violence and maintain internal unity and stability, said the six-member GCC, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirtates.

The Palestinian security situation started worsening on Sunday and at least 15 people have been killed in Gaza during factional fighting, despite a renewed truce between members of the fledgling Palestinian unity government.

The two major factions -- the previously dominant Fatah of President Mahmoud Abbas and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) -- announced the resumption of truce on Monday, saying the ceasefire would take effect at midnight (2100 GMT) on Tuesday.

The two agreed in Mecca early February on the establishment of a unity government and internal reconciliation.

Gaza's turmoil further weakened hopes for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, despite a new push by the Arab world to bring the two sides to the table.

Source: Xinhua