Armed clashes between Fatah and Hamas forces broke out in Gaza and Ramallah as Abbas called for dissolving the Hamas government, reports Erica Silverman President Mahmoud Abbas announced a second comprehensive ceasefire between Fatah and Hamas Tuesday night after a week of brutal inner-factional violence that left 14 Palestinians dead and dozens wounded. Armed members of both factions were to be removed from the streets with only the police to remain. The identity of the fighters, mostly masked, had become unclear to many Gaza residents. Mediated by the Egyptian delegation in the Gaza Strip, the deal was approved by Hamas Interior Minister Said Syiam, commander of the Palestinian Authority (PA) police and the Hamas Executive Forces. The first truce was brokered Sunday by three smaller factions -- Islamic Jihad, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- but unravelled quickly. A joint committee between Fatah and Hamas was established to try and prevent future skirmishes. Israel sealed Rafah crossing along the Gaza- Egypt border Thursday in order to prevent Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from re-entering Gaza with $35 million in cash packed in his suitcases following a Middle East fundraising tour. Israel claimed the monies were donated mostly from Iran, posing a security threat. Haniyeh was eventually permitted to cross the Rafah border, but only after leaving the much needed funds behind in Egypt. As Haniyeh proceeded through the terminal, unidentified gunmen shot at the prime minister, his bodyguards huddling around him forming a human shield. One of his bodyguards was killed and more than two dozen people were wounded, including Haniyeh's son Abdul- Salam and his political adviser Ahmed Youssef. Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum described the shooting as an attempt to assassinate Haniyeh. "The presidential guard controls the Palestinian side [of the Rafah terminal]. There are no other gunmen there. They are responsible for border security," he said. Editor-in-chief of the Hamas-affiliated West Bank weekly Minbar Al-Islah, Yazed Khader, asserted: "the assassination attempt against Haniyeh was an attempt to create a political vacuum, because the constitution states if the prime minister is absent, then the president has the authority to dissolve the government -- it was an attempt to assassinate Palestinian democracy." The attack sent Gaza spiralling into inner- factional violence between Fatah and Hamas, leaving many Palestinians wondering if predictions of civil war might come to fruition, despite blurred loyalties within Palestinian society. Fatah and Hamas gunmen exchanged fire in Ramallah city centre after Friday prayer and just ahead of celebrations for Hamas's 19th anniversary. Witnesses reported that presidential guard forces loyal to Abbas opened fire on crowds of Hamas supporters. Dressed in riot gear, the guard beat supporters back with clubs. Thirty-five people were wounded. Clashes also erupted in Gaza City Friday. Gunfire was exchanged near the home of senior Fatah leader Mohamed Dahlan, whom Hamas accused of plotting the attack against Haniyeh. Dahlan denied any involvement. Amid such open clashes, and in a much- anticipated speech, Abbas called for new presidential and legislative elections Saturday. It is a controversial move, not definitively legal under Palestinian basic law and rejected outright by Hamas. Months of negotiations between Fatah and Hamas to reach an agreement to form a national unity government, aimed at lifting the economic embargo, had failed, said Abbas. The speech did nothing to calm the situation. A presidential guard training base in Gaza City came under attack by Hamas forces Saturday night, wounding 20. Just a few hours later, Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar's convoy came under fire, killing one of his bodyguards and wounding two others. In retaliation, Abbas's office in Gaza was attacked by Hamas Executive Forces Sunday. The president was in the West Bank at time. The nearby agriculture and transportation ministries were evacuated as presidential guard forces took positions on rooftops. Six Palestinians were killed and at least 25 wounded, including several children, when fierce clashes erupted between the Executive Forces and members of the intelligence service near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Tuesday. An Executive Force member was killed while guarding the hospital, according to force spokesperson Islam Shahwan, who promised reprisals. Two intelligence officials were also killed. A wave of inter-factional kidnappings commenced across the Strip as UN and other foreign workers fled. Three intelligence officials were kidnapped in two separate incidents in Gaza City Tuesday. The dead body of one was later dumped in front of Kamal Adwan Hospital. In a televised speech Tuesday, Haniyeh reiterated his call for the formation of an independent Palestinian state along 1967 borders in exchange for a long-term truce with Israel. He called for an end to the bloodshed between Fatah and Hamas, reminding Palestinians they must invest their energy in resisting the occupation. "This nation, this people, will be united in front of the occupation and aggression and will not be engaged, despite the wounds of the past few days, in internal fighting," Haniyeh said. Another ray of hope came as Jordanian King Abdullah offered to mediate between the factions, expressing fears that the conflict may spread through the region. He extended an invitation to Abbas and Haniyeh to hold talks in Amman. This is the first time the Jordanians have offered to mediate since Hamas took office in March 2005. The Egyptians have played an active role on the ground since before the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in September 2005. At time of writing, the violence has come to a lull, for the moment, but Palestinians are convinced a lasting solution to internal turmoil and the economic siege can only be the outcome of a national unity government. Fatah and Hamas are still at odds over the control of the finance and interior ministries. Abbas's chief of staff, Rafiq Husseini said: "the population is convinced there is an international conspiracy against the government, which might bear some truth, but it does not excuse the government from its obligation to deal with this conspiracy and to help the population." The outbreak in violence is connected to the tremendous pressure currently bearing down on the Gaza population. Poverty and desperation have gripped Palestinians as their economy has been devastated by international sanctions against the Hamas-led government, though the root of the economic crisis remains Israel's decision to withhold, in violation of the Paris Protocol signed in conjunction with the Oslo Accords, $55 million in monthly tax revenue owed to the PA. Government employees have gone unpaid for 10 months, affecting one quarter of the population. The Palestinian government could have continued to function with the almost $600 million dollars it is rightfully owed; ironically, almost the same amount as the UN emergency appeal made in December for aid to the Palestinians. The EU Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) -- a negotiated means to alleviate the humanitarian strain of the US-led embargo -- was renewed for another three months at the end of December. It has not included PA security forces thus far, but may change this policy at the end of January. The EU donated $864 million to the Palestinians in 2006 -- $266 million towards the TIM alone, plus regular funding -- significantly more than the total EU funds donated last year.
