Palestinian militants from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, surround Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Parliament, Hassan Khreisheh, after taking over the Palestinian Parliament building in the West Bank city of Ramallah, yesterday. About 50 Fatah gunmen and 200 demonstrators stormed a Palestinian Parliament building. The militants grabbed the deputy speaker, who i with Hamas, and dragged him from the building, witnesses said. No injuries were reported. - Reuters

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP):

Hundreds of Fatah gunmen yesterday stormed Hamas-controlled institutions across the West Bank, seeking revenge for the Islamic group's takeover of the Gaza Strip, while Hamas' deposed prime minister appointed a new security command in a bid to solidify control over Gaza.

Despite Hamas pledges to restore calm in Gaza, looters attacked several prominent Fatah symbols, including the home of long-time Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Dozens of terrified Fatah officials tried to flee Gaza, continuing an exodus of recent days.

The lingering violence, along with an increasingly bitter war of words, reflected the deepening divisions between the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and the Fatah-controlled West Bank. The areas have effectively become separate political entities, endangering the Palestinian dream of forming an independent state in the two territories.

Emergency government

In the West Bank, Abbas' newly appointed Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, moved forward with plans to form an emergency government. Officials close to Abbas said the government would also include members from Gaza in a bid to preserve Palestinian unity. But Hamas officials called the move illegal.

Abbas aide Yasser Abed Rabbo said the new government would be sworn in by Sunday. He also rejected dialogue with Hamas until the group withdraws from former Fatah positions in Gaza and dissolves its militia there. "There will be no dialogue with killers who carried out field executions in Gaza," he said.

Abbas also rejected a plea from the Arab League to meet with Hamas' exiled leader, Khaled Mashaal, an Abbas aide said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The international community, both in the Arab world and the West, have sided with Abbas in the dispute. In a major boost for Abbas, the United States consul-general in Jerusalem, Jacob Walles, said Washington would end 15 months of sanctions once the new Palestinian government is formed, Palestinian officials said.