Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas followed up the weekly cabinet meeting on Monday from a secret place through video conference system, sources at his office said.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the procedure was taken owing to Israeli threats to target Hamas leaders as the movement's military wing continued firing rockets into Israel.

Information Minister Mustafa al-Barghouti confirmed to reporters that the weekly session discussed ways of promoting the government's initiative to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel that calls for mutual calmness to cover the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Israel launched Gaza aerial offensive 11 days ago in response to the sudden surge of rocket attacks against southern Israel territories, which observers believe to be helpful to reduce tension between the rival mainstream movements of Hamas and Fatah.

48 Palestinians have been killed so far due to the ongoing Israeli strikes.

President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah is exerting great efforts to secure a deal of calmness with Israel, said his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaina.

However, the Palestinian factions have agreed to reject any ceasefire with Israel if it doesn't include suspension of Israel's military operations in the West Bank, Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha told reporters in Gaza.

He added that the factions will never propose a unilateral stop of rocket attacks. "Giving a unilateral calmness while the Israeli aggression is going on means that we surrendered to Israel."

Source: Xinhua