GAZA, May 23 (UPI) -- Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of the Hamas-led government ruled out a possible civil war in light of growing tensions between Hamas and Fatah.
He said "civil war is a red line and an expression that does not exist in Palestinian dictionary."
Speaking before a meeting of the Higher Follow up Committee for Islamic and National Palestinian Forces which groups the leaders of various factions, Haniyeh said the talks will focus on defusing the kind of tensions that erupted Monday in Gaza, killing the driver of the Jordanian ambassador, a Jordanian national.
"This meeting falls within the framework of consultations and exchanging viewpoints to confront the dangers threatening our people and to work together in order to alleviate the sufferings of Palestinians and lift the siege," Haniyeh said.
Commenting on Monday's fighting he said, "we tell our people not to worry despite the painful events, but our Palestinian people is unified from the real danger which is Israeli occupation and we are keen on settling all crises on our internal scene."
Fatah and Hamas agreed to set up a fact-finding committee to contain and monitor clashes between gunmen from the two powerful groups and decided to hold daily meetings to defuse tensions.
Leaders from the two groups held a six-hour meeting overnight under Egyptian sponsorship following clashes in which the Jordanian driver was killed and nine Palestinians wounded.
The fighting erupted when gunmen believed to be affiliated with Fatah opened fire at a Hamas-formed special force outside parliament building in central Gaza City.
