Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas spoke by telephone today with Gaza’s Hamas premier Ismail Haniya and congratulated him on his “victory,” a Hamas statement said.
In a telephone conversation, president Abu Mazen (Abbas) congratulated prime minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas on his
victory and offered condolences for the martyrs,” a statement from the Gazan leader’s office said.
A truce to end eight days of violence in and around Gaza was agreed between Israel and Hamas and announced in Cairo last evening, with Hamas expected to enforce its terms on the various militant groups in the Palestinian territory.
Official Palestinian new agency Wafa said: “The president received a phone call from brother Haniya who informed him of the situation in Gaza after the ceasefire.”
“The president saluted (the Palestinian) steadfastness in face of the aggression and stressed the importance of reaching a ceasefire and sparing Gaza the scourge of war,” Wafa said, adding: “The president supports the efforts to strengthen national unity.”
In addition, Haniya and two other senior Gaza officials Ahmed Bahar of Hamas and Mohammed al-Hindi of Islamic Jihad expressed their “support for the national drive for observer status from the UN on November 29,” Wafa said.
But Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu denied his premier had supported Abbas’ UN bid.
It is not true” he said in a statement tonight, adding “the media should be more careful.”
During the eight eight-day operation, the Israeli army said it hit more than 1,500 targets, as Gaza militants fired 1,354 rockets over the border, of which 933 struck Israel and another 421 were intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system.
The Hamas-run health ministry said the air strikes killed 163 Palestinians and wounded 1,235, while in Israel six people, including two soldiers, were killed by rocket fire and another 280 wounded, army figures showed.
—————————–(AFP)