Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails called on the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Islamic Hamas movement to keep national unity in a joint statement issued on Saturday.

The statement was signed by the prisoners' leadership of the Fatah movement, Islamic Hamas and Jihad movements as well as Democratic and Popular Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP and PFLP).

"We really consider what happened in the Gaza Strip between the PNA and Hamas movement of internal conflicts painful," said the statement.

It expressed disagreement with the fact that the Palestinians' abilities and power are used in internal fights instead of fighting against the occupiers.

"We call you to keep calmness and unity as well as to keep one authority in a bid to defend law and order in the Palestinian territories.

"We call you, our brothers in the PNA and Hamas, to stop the exchange of fire and refer to dialogue to end any form of disputes," the statement added.

Source: Xinhua