Palestinian lawmakers held Thursday separate meetings with officials from Fatah movement and Hamas to calm tensions between them after deadly clashes, a Hamas leader told AFP.
The Palestinian parliament follow-up committee "met separately with the two movements, as well as with the Committee of National and Islamic Forces," an umbrella group of 13 Palestinian groups, said Ismail Haniya.
"Ways to end the crisis and safeguard national unity in the face of the Israeli occupation were discussed," he said, adding that he hoped "these efforts would be a success."
Despite ongoing negotiations, Hamas and Fatah have not succeeded in finding a formula that will end the crisis that erupted after Hamas activists killed senior PA police officer.
Hamas is continuing to claim that the policeman was slain because of a family blood feud and is refusing to reveal the whereabouts of the assailant. A senior Fatah activist, Samir Mashhrawi, said Thursday: "Hamas must stop protecting murderers and must support Palestinian national unity."
Some 5,000 Palestinians attended the officer's funeral on Thursday, including Palestinian ministers and parliament officials, as well as members of the security forces and police.
Activists of Palestinian factions also took part, mainly from Fatah and masked men of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
In a statement circulated at the funeral, Fatah called for the killers of 55-year-old Abu Lehya to be brought to justice "so as to protect Palestinian society and for the rule of law to be applied."
The group has blamed Hamas for Monday's murder and warned it would get tough if Islamic group attacked the security apparatus again.
Meanwhile, Haaretz reported Friday that top officers in the Palestinian police have left the West Bank for the Gaza Strip, with instructions from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on how to deal with a possible confrontation with Hamas. Most of the officers have experience from the previous conflict between the Palestinian police and Hamas when the PA entered Gaza in 1994, the report said.
In other developments, the Israeli army Thursday night arrested four Palestinians throughout the West Bank. According to Israel Radio, in Nablus, a Border Policeman was lightly wounded when Palestinians fired on an Israeli force.
According to media reports, the Israeli army apprehended a Hamas activist in the village of Salfit, not far from Nablus. Also, troops nabbed three wanted Palestinians near Bethlehem. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
