Truce called after 4 die in Gaza faction violence

GAZA, May 15 (Reuters) Egyptian mediators brokered a truce deal between rival factions in Gaza on Sunday in a bid to end the deadliest outbreak of factional fighting that killed four Palestinans and wounded a dozen.

A ceasefire announced by Hamas and Fatah leaders in Gaza seemed to have taken effect at least in part as agreed at 0030 hrs IST (local time yesterday). It was unclear how well the truce would hold as many previous deals have not lasted for long.

In keeping with the deal, both sides began to pull gunmen off the streets and to swap 14 hostages from Hamas being held by Fatah for at least six from Fatah held by Hamas, sources on both sides said.

But sporadic gunfire continued in parts of Gaza City and a rocket propelled grenade, possibly fired by one of the factions, struck a power station knocking out electricity to part of the city, witnesses said.

''In order to maintain national unity and preserve Palestinian blood, Hamas and Fatah leaders met and agreed to end the fighting and remove the checkpoints,'' Ayman Taha, a Hamas official, told reporters, announcing the truce earlier.

Abdel-Hakim Awad of Fatah said: ''We assure our people that we will block all attempts to drag us into internal acts of sedition.'' The violence erupted when gunmen killed a senior commander of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and another member of the Fatah-linked militant group on Sunday, blaming the attack on Hamas, a charge the group denied.

What ensued was the worst outbreak of internal fighting in Gaza since a February ceasefire brokered by Saudi Arabia, after which Fatah and Hamas established a unity government in March.

Hamas in turn blamed Fatah loyalists for the killing of a pro-Hamas journalist and another man outside a mosque in Gaza City.

A dozen others were wounded in that shooting and another in northern Gaza, hospital officials said. Fatah said these were the result of an exchange of fire with Hamas gunmen.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Reuters Fatah gunmen later seized a total of 15 of its supporters throughout Gaza, releasing one of them several hours later, and urged ''all Hamas and Qassam men to go on high alert.'' Fatah said Hamas was holding six of their people.

After nightfall, gunmen from the rival groups traded fire in the streets, engaging in intensive gunbattles shortly after fanning out to set up makeshift checkpoints on the roads and on rooftops. The bursts of gunfire could be heard throughout Gaza.

Egypt stepped in to mediate the dispute, convening an emergency meeting of Hamas and Fatah deputies at its diplomatic office in Gaza, leading to the truce deal.

Palestinians had hoped the recent deployment of Palestinian police in Gaza under a new security plan would curb growing lawlessness and ease tensions between long-time rivals Fatah and Hamas.

Previous police deployments in Gaza have not fully secured the territory, which has sunk further into poverty and political disarray since Israel withdrew troops and settlers in 2005.

In Jerusalem, Israel's security cabinet postponed a decision on proposals to step up attacks against militant groups involved in firing rockets at neighbouring Israeli towns to Gaza, pending an in depth discussion of the options, a political source said. But Israeli leaders resolved they would continue a policy of pin-pointed strikes aimed at preventing rocket shootings, the source added.

Reuters SLD DB1934