Mideast press sceptical of Palestinian truce

Palestinian papers are sceptical of the latest truce between Fatah and Hamas, saying that some people fear outside influence is working to sabotage it and the Saudi-sponsored unity government talks in Mecca.

This scepticism is also reflected in Arab and Israeli papers, with many accusing the two factions of putting a bid for power above the national interest.

PALESTINIAN AL-QUDS

The ceasefire... is a positive step by Fatah and Hamas. But this is not the first agreement of its kind and we will have to wait days and even weeks to see whether it holds water... When ceasefires collapse, the Palestinians see proof of how influential some local and foreign parties who do not want an end to the bloodshed actually are.

ISA QARAQ IN PALESTINIAN AL-QUDS

The Palestinian blood swamp is... clear proof that they [Palestinians] have lost their compassion for one another and become executioners carrying out the same actions as the occupation soldiers do to them.

HAFITH AL-BARGHUTHI IN PALESTINIAN AL-HAYAT AL-JADIDAH

The only good to emerge from the bloodshed of this cursed feud is that it has revealed the truth about the factions and their leaders... What is needed now is a new national mindset.

HANI AL-MASRI IN PALESTINIAN AL-AYYAM

Everything now depends on the success of the truce... The period between the truce and the Mecca meeting will be the real test of how far Fatah and Hamas deals positively with the Saudi invitation. It will be clear that whoever makes the truce fail will be the one preventing the Mecca meeting from taking place and thus will bear responsibility for the infighting.

AMIRA HASS IN ISRAEL'S HA'ARETZ

The Palestinians are right to place the overall blame for the present situation on the occupation... But those Palestinians who are tired of hearing that the occupation is to blame are also right... The armed security forces of Fatah and Hamas were sent to fight, to kill and endanger the welfare of the entire public to uphold the illusion of self-government under a foreign occupier disguised as a concerned neighbour.

LONDON-BASED AL-QUDS-AL-ARABI

We have learnt from past experience that similar pacts do not hold for long and quite soon there will be a violation of some kind. Therefore there is no point in being too optimistic about the new agreement.

EGYPT'S AL-JUMHURIYAH

Once again Egypt succeeded in stopping the sad bloody clashes between Fatah and Hamas... We hope the Palestinian factions will... use this agreement as a basis to eliminate all elements that unfortunately threaten the Palestinian struggle from within.

RIYAD HAMUDA YASSIN IN JORDAN'S AL-RA'Y

The fires in Gaza are polluting Palestinian trust at a time when the Palestinians are in dire need of anything that clears the darkness of reciprocal accusations, the price of which is paid by the Palestinian people.

KHALIL AL-ANANI IN OMAN'S AL-WATAN

The ongoing clashes between Fatah and Hamas mean one thing, which is that the struggle is no longer a struggle for the Palestinian cause as much as it is a struggle for power and control, as if the Palestinian Authority itself has become a target.

UBAYDLI AL-UBAYDLI IN BAHRAIN'S AL-WASAT

While Fatah and Hamas continue their clashes in Gaza, both movements are ignoring the huge economic collapse that will happen if this stupid infighting continues.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.