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‘Abbas Forces’ Arrest Raid Results in Three Policemen Killed

Three members of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces loyal to Mahmoud ‘Abbas died when a firefight erupted during an arrest raid on a Hamas stronghold in the West Bank on Saturday. The incident took place in the town of Qalqilya. Reports from Palestinian sources say that a number of Hamas gunmen were cornered in a building and returned orders to surrender with automatic gunfire. Two Hamas members and a bystander were also reported killed. Hamas accusations that ‘Abbas-loyal Fatah forces are conducting a crackdown on Hamas loyalists remains a sticking point in attempts to broker a Palestinian unity deal. Among other charges, Hamas alleges that Fatah collaborates against it with Israel. The new fighting casts doubt on the likelihood of a Palestinian reconciliation agreement to be signed by July 7 as the Chinese news agency Xinhua is quoting an independent official as saying. According to that report, the official said the five individual committees would begin final talks in Cairo in early June and re-assemble on July 7 for the signing of a reconciliation agreement.