Iran cautions Palestinians on civil strife
Nine Palestinians were killed on Sunday in clashes between forces loyal to Hamas and those loyal to Fatah in the worst internal fighting in months over unpaid wages and stalled unity government talks.
The spokesman said in a statement that civil conflicts will lead to the loss of spiritual and financial possessions of the Palestinians, benefiting only the Zionist regime.
“Under the divine instructions and Islamic teachings the Palestinians should exercise vigilance and avoid inflaming conflicts especially out of deference to the holy month of Ramadan,” he added.
At this time, when innocent Palestinians are shot by the Zionist regime every day, any internal clash will weaken Palestine’s position and help the occupiers achieve their destructive goals, he noted.
Hosseini called on all Palestinians to maintain unity and redouble their efforts to strengthen resistance against Israel.
The Palestinians should focus their efforts on fulfilling their main aspirations, breaking the occupation, and bringing the refugees home.
According to BBC, the Palestinian government said work will cease in all government offices a day after its headquarters in Ramallah were stormed by protesters.
The Hamas government said the suspension also followed "attempts to kidnap officials".
The statement does not say when work will be resumed or what steps may be taken to keep the government running.
Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas has called for calm after Sunday's factional fighting.
The Palestinian interior ministry said the Hamas loyalists had been ordered to withdraw and Gaza's streets were back under control of regular security forces.
The Hamas-led government says it cannot afford to pay the full salaries of civil servants because of financial sanctions imposed by Israel and Western countries.
At the same time, Haniya has been locked in an increasingly bitter power struggle with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah.
The two have been trying unsuccessfully to form a unity government, eight months after Hamas crushed Fatah in parliamentary elections.