GAZA, June 9 (UPI) -- Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas urged a continued truce with Israel at a meeting Thursday with militant leaders.
The BBC reported that representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their groups would respond to Israeli attacks while attempting to uphold the cease fire. They blamed Israel for a recent increase in violence.
"We explained to Abu Mazen (Abbas) that the truce won't stop Hamas from responding to ongoing Israeli violations," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zahiri told the Jerusalem Post.
Abbas recently postponed elections that had been scheduled for July, straining his relationship with Hamas. The militant group plans to run candidates.
Recent incidents include an Israeli attack on the West Bank that killed two Palestininans and a militant attack in Gaza that left two Palestinians and a Chinese farmworker dead. Israel also fired a missile at a car carrying members of Hamas, who escaped unscathed.
