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But Hamas’s military wing says it has so far received no orders to put down its guns. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, of Fatah, is expected to make a statement on the unity government. Fatah forces are said to have abandoned key positions in central Gaza, following a series of battles on Wednesday in which Hamas made systematic gains in the north and south.

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Heavy fighting is continuing between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in Gaza, with reports Hamas now nearly controls the whole Gaza Strip.
It comes despite the two sides saying they had agreed to a truce to end days of fighting which has killed 80 people.

But Hamas’s military wing says it has so far received no orders to put down its guns.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, of Fatah, is expected to make a statement on the unity government.

Fatah forces are said to have abandoned key positions in central Gaza, following a series of battles on Wednesday in which Hamas made systematic gains in the north and south.

Fighting has also spilled over into the West Bank.

Truce conditions

Mr Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, of Hamas, issued a statement on Wednesday, calling on all sides to halt the fighting.

Deputy Palestinian Prime Minister Azam al-Ahmad, a senior Fatah official, said the group had agreed to a list of conditions from Hamas for a truce.

Without a ceasefire and stopping of the fighting I think the situation will collapse in Gaza
Mahmoud Abbas
Palestinian Authority President

A senior Hamas official told the BBC that these included appointing an interior minister responsible for all Palestinian security forces, and sharing control with Fatah of Gaza’s boundaries and borders.

Mr Ahmad said Fatah had accepted the conditions in principle, but that more dialogue between the two sides was needed.

However, he said since then Hamas had not responded.

A truce agreed on Monday was quickly broken and fighting escalated across northern Gaza.

Fatah and Hamas agreed a unity government in March to bring an end to factional strife and Western sanctions, but it has not stopped the rivalry.

Analysts say that if the fighting is not checked, Palestinians could be split into a Fatah-controlled West Bank and Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Bitter battle

Hamas says it has pushed Fatah gunmen out of the north of Gaza and gained control of much of the south.

At least 17 people were reported killed in fighting on Wednesday, with 80 reported to have died since Saturday.

Hamas appears to be winning the bitter battle for all-out control of Gaza, BBC correspondent Katya Adler says.

Clashes started on Saturday when hundreds of Fatah and Hamas gunmen fought on the streets and rooftops of Rafah with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns.

In the West Bank, a gun battle broke out in the northern town of Nablus.

The BBC’s Tim Franks was taken by Fatah militants to the Balata refugee camp in Nablus where he was shown Hamas hostages.

The Fatah men promised “blood for blood” in the West Bank if the Hamas attacks in Gaza did not stop.

Hamas has issued its own ultimatum to Fatah militants in Gaza to lay down their weapons by 1600 GMT on Friday or risk having them taken from them.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the idea of an international peace-keeping force in Gaza should be explored.

Mr Ban said both Mr Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had floated the option.

Two workers from the UN relief agency were among those who died on Wednesday. The UN said it would temporarily scale back its operations in Gaza.

The international community has called for a ceasefire, and Arab League head Amr Moussa said the fighting was destroying the Palestinian cause.bbc

, Voice of a Nation

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