A senior Palestinian security officer loyal to Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party is critically wounded after being shot by masked men in the southern Gaza Strip.

Two other people, including a seven-year-old girl, were wounded in the attack on Saturday in the Rafah refugee camp near the Egyptian border, witnesses said.
 
 
At least 10 Palestinians have been killed in violent clashes between Fatah and supporters of the ruling Hamas party since Abbas, the Palestinian president, announced that he would call early elections.

The fighting has cast doubt on a ceasefire agreed by the rival factions on December 19.
 
The wounded security official was identified as Hassan Jarbouh, the deputy chief of the Rafah branch of the Preventive Security Service.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the drive-by shooting but security forces said they were searching the area for the attackers.
   
"There should be an end to all these incidents ... . We do know who did it, but I will not name them at the moment," Youssef Abu Siyam, a senior security officer, said.

Jordan visit postponed

Meanwhile, Abbas has postponed a visit to Jordan to discuss the violence in the territories with King Abdullah II, Atallah Khairy, the Palestinian ambassador, said.

"President Abbas is determined to attend the Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem in accordance with the tradition set by the late Yasser Arafat," Khairy said on Saturday.

Abbas's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said in Ramallah that he planned to travel to Jordan on Monday.

Preparations are also reportedly under way for a meeting between Abbas and Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister.
   
"We're studying the basis of such a meeting so we can come up with results and a clear outcome," Abbas said.

A senior official in Olmert's office told Israel's Army Radio a meeting between the two leaders could happen this coming week.

Photo Caption

Fatah supporters at a funeral on Tuesday