Infighting hurting their case, Palestinians fear he fierce internal clashes among Palestinian factions have shocked many Palestinians and Arab governments, who fear that the bloodshed is damaging the Palestinian case before the world.

Even as the Bush administration moves in its second term to try to press for significant progress toward peace, Palestinians say their own infighting is making it too easy for Israel to argue that nothing needs to be done now to promote a Palestinian state.

Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have all intensified efforts to stop the fighting and push the warring Fatah and Hamas factions into a form of unity government, no matter how fragile. On Tuesday, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has called a meeting in the holy city of Mecca between President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and senior Hamas figures to try to restore at least the façade of Palestinian unity. the International Herald Tribune