Published today (updated) 04/04/2010 10:13
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Ramallah - Ma'an - Fatah said Saturday evening that the movement appreciated
Hamas' decision to deter the launching of homemade projectiles from Gaza
toward Israeli towns, a spokesman said.

Fatah spokesman Ahmad Assaf said that comments made by Hamas leader Ayman
Taha on the BBC were a "positive development," adding that "Hamas realized
President [Mahmoud] Abbas' call upon the movement, which was made more than
once, to avoid disastrous Israeli reaction toward homemade projectiles."

"This realization came late, as Hamas previously chose to neglect such calls
out of commitment to partial interests and external agendas," Assaf added.

"How long it will it take Hamas to realize that it is necessary to end
disagreement which has harmed the Palestinian cause, in the same way as the
movement has realized that homemade projectiles are harmful to Palestinian
interests," the spokesman said.

Taha told the BBC that Hamas is "working to curb Gaza rocket attacks," while
deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh also urged the international community
to intervene to avoid an escalation in violence.

"We are contacting the other Palestinian factions in order to reach an
internal consensus as to the measures we may take in order to protect our
people and strengthen our unity," Haniyeh said.

Taha said the de facto government was "working hard to deter any faction
from acting individually."