Hamas militia leaves Gaza streets

Hamas militiamen pulled back from Gaza’s streets today, and Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh declared that calm was returning to the area after a deadly explosion of violence between his Hamas group and its Fatah rivals.

Fatah militants enforced a general strike in many West Bank towns today as a show of their strength against Hamas, while the Hamas-led government ordered all ministries closed to protest Fatah attacks on government buildings.