Palestinian security officials have received threats that the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, could be assassinated by Lebanon's Hizbullah members if he continues moves towards reconciliation with Israel, the British Telegraph newspaper reported on Sunday.
The threats to Abbas came indirectly, via Palestinian Hizbullah contacts, but were being taken "very, very seriously", one official was quoted by the newspaper.
Abbas acknowledged that Hizbullah might threaten his life during a private meeting with two American senators - Joe Biden, a Democrat, and John Sununu, a Republican - just before last month's Palestinian election, according to an unnamed congressional official quoted in Newsweek magazine. "He said the main threat might be less Hamas and more external," the official was quoted as saying.
Ghassan Khatieb, the Palestinian labour minister, said "These are very tense times and I believe he should be very careful." "But I think Mr Abbas' approach is the right one - to try to create dialogue with the militant groups while building up the security forces. Of course some extremist elements do not like what he is doing but he is determined."
