Palestinian leader to use 'iron fist' against militants

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas threatened to use force against anyone who violates a ceasefire with Israel, his toughest warning against Palestinian militants since taking office in January.

In a speech to Palestinian police, Abbas also pledged to ensure quiet during the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this summer. “We have to give them a calm departure,” he said, according to a summary of the speech published today by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.