Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei met with representatives of 13 national and Islamic factions in Gaza on Saturday to discuss security when ailing Yasser Arafat was fighting for his life in a Paris hospital.

A security plan presented by the chief of Palestinian security apparatus was accepted by all parties, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad (Holy War), a senior Palestinian official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Khader Habib, a senior Jihad leader who attended the meeting, said that the meeting had reiterated importance of national unity so as to prevent an inner unrest in view of Arafat's sharply deteriorating health condition.

At a news conference following the meeting, Qurei said "we discussed the political and security situation and we agreed that the use of arms in solving our disputes is forbidden."

"The only way to solve our problems is to go through dialogue that unifies our positions," said Qurei.

Asked about if ceasefire was discussed, Qurei said "we talk about controlling security and any other procedures would be tackled through dialogue and meetings in future."

Source: Xinhua