Efforts to resume coalition talks between Fatah and Hamas suffered a major setback on Wednesday when an attempt was made to assassinate a senior Fatah leader in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who returned to the Strip on Wednesday from a brief visit to Saudi Arabia, said the attempt to kill Abu Ali Shaheen, a former PA minister, underscored the need for a Palestinian unity government. A planned meeting between Abbas and PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was postponed in the aftermath of the attack. Sources close to Abbas said the meeting could take place as early as Thursday. "We need a unity government that will tackle the state of anarchy and lawlessness in our areas," Abbas told reporters after visiting Shaheen at the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City. "There are many forces that are playing with fire and harm our national interests. A unity government will be able to solve most of the problems."
Shaheen, who served 15 years in Israeli prisons for security offenses, was moderately wounded when unidentified gunmen shot him in Gaza City late Tuesday night. The attack took place shortly after he left a local radio station where he had strongly criticized Hamas in an interview. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Fatah representatives were quick to accuse Hamas and its 3,000-strong "executive force." They noted that Shaheen has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Hamas government and its security force.