FAKE CEASE-FIRE WAS SHORT

THE A.P. MUST HAVE A DIFFERENT DEFINITION OF CEASE-FIRE FROM MINE. MONEY LINE: "Despite the violence, both sides said they would honor the cease-fire." OTHER THAN THE ASSASSINATION, HOW WAS THE PLAY, MRS. LINCOLN?

Despite fighting, Abbas pushes elections. (AP)
The week-old wave of violence in Gaza appeared to be diminishing Monday after warring Palestinian groups said they had negotiated a truce.

Far fewer gunmen were seen in the streets than in the preceding days, but fighting still broke out in the middle of Gaza City early Monday, when about two dozen masked militants from the rival groups, armed with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers, faced off in a gunbattle that left a 16-year-old bystander with a bullet wound in the neck.

Sporadic violence continued into the evening. Masked militants shot and seriously wounded a Fatah member in Gaza City, and Hamas loyalists burned down the shop of a brother of a local Fatah leader in northern Gaza and kidnapped another brother. Masked gunmen also kidnapped the brother of a Fatah lawmaker, officials said.

Fatah militants responded by burning down a Hamas office and kidnapping a local Hamas leader.

Despite the violence, both sides said they would honor the cease-fire.

Gunbattles Erupt Following Fatah-Hamas Cease-Fire Deal - Khaled Abu Toameh
Despite reports of a cease-fire between Hamas and Fatah on Sunday, Palestinian gunmen waged a street battle outside the Gaza residence of Mahmoud Abbas at dawn Monday. An intense gun battle broke out Sunday outside Fatah security service head Muhammed Dahlan's house in Gaza. At least four Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded in Sunday's clashes. Adnan Rahami, 42, a senior Fatah official in Gaza who serves in the PA National Security Forces, was kidnapped and murdered in Gaza City. At least three mortar shells were fired at Abbas' headquarters in Gaza City. Seven people were wounded when Hamas gunmen fired at a Fatah rally in northern Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)