Hamas man dies in shooting

A GUN battle erupted in northern Gaza yesterday, killing one militant, after Palestinian authorities tried to break up an outdoor Hamas training session on how to fire homemade rockets at Israel.

The firefight came hours after Mahmoud Abbas, a pragmatic Palestinian leader, accepted the newly created post of prime minister. The appointment marked a major step toward US-sought reform and raised hopes that Israeli-Palestinian fighting might wind down after 30 bloody months.

Abbas, known as Abu Mazen, has been an outspoken critic of shooting and bombing attacks on Israelis, and international mediators expect him to take tough steps against Palestinian militants.