Palestinian PM vows to avoid civil war

GAZA, May 23 (Reuters) Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh today vowed there would be no civil war in the Palestinian territories and urged rival forces from his Hamas group and President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah to show restraint.

Clashes have intensified between Hamas and Fatah since the Islamist-led government deployed a new 3,000-member paramilitary unit last week.

''Civil war is a term that does not exist in the Palestinian dictionary. I assure the people that these incidents can be overcome,'' Haniyeh told reporters before attending talks in Gaza between various factions aimed at defusing tensions.

The battle for control of security in Gaza has raised fears of civil war, which could cripple the Palestinian Authority and strengthen Israel's position to unilaterally impose final borders with the Palestinians in the absence of peace talks.

Hamas and Fatah officials were meeting with other factions today to try to calm tensions. The new Hamas militia battled gunmen from a Fatah-dominated force in Gaza in clashes on Monday that killed a Jordanian diplomat's driver.

Reuters SHR RS1504