Palestinian parliament to meet on 18 February
Thursday, 9 February 2006 16:11The new Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament, which was elected last month, will hold its inaugural meeting on 18 February.
The session is to be held at parliament's Ramallah headquarters, and deputies from the Gaza Strip, including Hamas leaders, are to join in by video-conference.
Israel has previously warned that Hamas MPs would not be allowed to travel freely between the Gaza Strip and West Bank on the grounds that the organisation is committed to the destruction of the Jewish state.
Hamas, which won 74 of 132 seats in parliament, will formally take on the duty of forming a new cabinet after the inaugural session.
Two gunmen killed at Gaza crossing
Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinian gunmen who attacked a border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel in a pre-dawn raid.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said at least three gunmen infiltrated the Israeli side of the Erez border crossing and threw hand grenades at the checkpoint before being killed.
A Palestinian militant group spokesman confirmed the attack and claimed the gunmen had inflicted casualties on the Israeli side.
