Ceasefire agreed as Gaza hospitals run out of blood

Fatah fighters stormed a Hamas-affiliated university yesterday — for the second time — hours before the two political factions grappling for control of the Palestinian government said they had agreed on a new ceasefire.

Fifteen people, including four children, were killed in renewed fighting before yesterday’s announcement.

With a total of 22 dead since Thursday afternoon, and thousands of Gazans huddled in their homes to escape the crossfire, doctors said they were running out of blood to treat 245 people wounded in two days of gunfights.

The agreement was announced after a meeting at the Egyptian embassy in Gaza City.

“We, the leaders of the two groups, agreed with God’s help on a ceasefire,” said Nizar Rayan, a regional Hamas leader, after the meeting.

Fatah spokesman, Abdel Hakim Awad, confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

Ceasefires between the two sides in recent weeks and months have quickly fallen apart — the most recent was announced early Tuesday.

In the latest fighting, gunmen waged war in the streets using mortar shells, rockets and heavy machine guns.

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in internal violence since Hamas won parliamentary elections last year and formed a cabinet. In the wake of the election, Abbas took control of the security forces and Hamas established its own militia.

The two forces have fought repeatedly in the streets since then.

In another effort to end the fighting, Abbas was to travel Tuesday to Saudi Arabia for talks with Hamas supreme leader Khaled Mashaal on forming a government of national unity, according to an Abbas aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting had not been officially announced.

Yesterday’s raid on Islamic University was the second in two days. On Thursday,

Fatah said it had burst into the campus and arrested seven Iranians, while an eighth committed suicide.