UN chief hopes Palestinian deal curbs violence

United Nations, Feb 9: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon haswelcomed a deal between rival Palestinian factions to form a unitygovernment, saying he hoped the pact would curb violence.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas chief Khaled Meshaaland Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh reached agreement at talks inMecca, Saudi Arabia. Internecine fighting has killed more than 90Palestinians since December.

Ban commended King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for calling the meeting.

''He hopes that this agreement will curb the violence, creating abetter future for the Palestinian people,'' UN spokeswoman MicheleMontas said.

A Fatah official said there was concern the agreement would not beenough to end a blockade on aid by Western countries because of theHamas-led government. The charter of Hamas, an Islamist group, callsfor Israel's destruction.

''We are afraid the quartet will not accept this agreement and lift the siege,'' he said.

But Ban, a member of the quartet of West Asia advisers, along withthe United States, the European Union and Russia, said he lookedforward to ''discussing the way ahead''.

The quartet has demanded that Hamas renounce violence, recogniseIsrael and commit itself to existing peace accords before aid couldflow again.

In an upset election victory in January 2006, Hamas beat thelong-dominant Fatah movement of President Abbas, who is seen as amoderate. The United States severed contact with the new Hamasgovernment and other factions refused to join.

Last June, Hamas militants and other gunmen launched a raid intoIsrael from Gaza, prompting an Israeli invasion and five-monthoffensive before a ceasefire in November.

Reuters>