A fighter form the ruling Hamas party in Gaza escaped on Tuesday an assassination attempt in southern Gaza. Meanwhile, spokesman of the Fatah-allied Palestinian government in Ramallah, vowed not to let Hamas arm in the West Bank. These news and more coming up, stay tuned.


The Alqassam brigades, the armed wing of the ruling Hamas party in Gaza said one of its fighters escaped an assassination attempt in southern Gaza Strip, as the Hamas-led police and Qassam fighters uncovered an explosive device in front of the fighter's house.

Spokesperson of the Alqassam brigade's fighters accused what he called 'collaborators with the Israeli occupation' of plotting the attack, warning of such an episode on current Cairo talks on Palestinian national unity.

In July, 2008, four Hamas fighters were killed and several other people injured in a beach blast in northern Gaza. The fighters were driving when an explosive device ripped through their car.

Hamas police arrested then 11 members of a Gaza clan, said to be belonging to the Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas as 150 clan and Fatah members fled Gaza to Israel amidst Hamas's police crackdown on their neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Riyad Almaliky, information minister and spokesman of the West Bank-based Palestinian government, warned of what he called Hamas's armament in the West Bank, vowing not to allow the party to do so any more.

Amidst such developments , the Hamas party accepted, with preservations, the Cairo-submitted memo of understanding for current Fatah-Hamas dialogue , meant to reach a national conciliation.

Fatah leader and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, outlawed Hamas and formed a caretaker government in Ramallah in July 2007, one month after Hamas took over Gaza and ousted Fatah-loyal security services from there.

Also in the West Bank, the Israeli military invaded today the Nablus city as forces were deployed in the city's streets and alleys, with no casualties or arrests reported.

At the political level, King of Jordan, Abdullah II, called for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on basis of international legitimacy resolutions and signed peace agreements, mainly the land for peace formula.

In a related news, top Palestinian peace negotiator, Ahmad Qurai, called for holding an Arab summit to reconsider the Arab peace initiative of 200, which calls for comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab states on the same said basis.

Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud Alfaisal, responded today to Israeli president Shimon Peres's call for regional peace by saying "just now Israel realized the Arab proposal for peace"

Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Rami Al-Meghari, and Husam Qassis