Washington calls on Palestinian factions to "act responsibly"

WASHINGTON - The United States on Tuesday called on all Palestinian parties to "act responsibly" and end violence shaking the Gaza strip.
At least 19 Palestinians have been killed in three days of the deadliest factional violence in months between gunmen for the rival Fatah and Hamas groups.
The violence has dealt a major blow to the national unity government set up two months ago by Fatah and the Islamist movement Hamas to quell factionalism.
"The Palestinian people need to have a safe and secure environment in which to be able to live, in which to be able to move forward with their lives," said State Department spokesman Tom Casey.
"We definitely want to see and end to that violence and would call on all the parties involved to act responsibly," he said.
On Tuesday the Fatah movement headed by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas accused bitter rivals Hamas of a brazen attack on a presidential guard camp and ambush between the lawless Gaza Strip and Israel that killed eight Fatah members.

05/15/2007 17:25 GMT