Palestinian prime minister survives roadside bomb blast on convoy

An explosion struck the convoy of the Palestinian prime minister Tuesday as he was visiting Gaza, in what his Fatah party is calling an attack against Palestinian unity.

The blast occurred after the convoy travelled through the Erez crossing with Israel for a visit to a sewage plant project in the northern part of Gaza.

The bombing that seemed to target the Western-backed leader, who is spearheadingthe authority's reconciliation efforts with Gaza's dominantgroup, Hamas, happened on the day the White House is due to holda meeting on the humanitarian situation in the enclave.

There was no immediateclaim of responsibility for the blast and Hamascondemned the attack.

Minutes after the explosion, the 59-year-old prime minister,appearing unhurt, delivered a speech at the inauguration of awaste treatment plant and pledged to continue to pursuePalestinian unity.

He said three vehicles were damaged in the explosion, whichleft a crater by the side of the road and blew out thewindows of at least one utility vehicle.

The Palestinian Authority said it held Hamas responsible for the attack, but stoppedshort of directly accusing the group of carrying outthe assault, suggestingit had failed to provide adequatesecurity.

Elusive unity

Hamas and the authority, led by President MahmoudAbbas, are still divided over how to share administrative powerin the Gaza Strip under an Egyptian-brokered unity deal.

The Hamasparty won Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006, then consolidated power the following year after factional fighting between Hamas and forces loyal to the Fatah party.

"The attack against the government of consensus is an attackagainst the unity of the Palestinian people," said Nabil AbuRdainah, a spokespersonfor Abbas.

In a statement, Hamas said the targeting of Hamdallah'smotorcade was "part of attempt to damage the security of Gazaand deal a blow to efforts to finalize reconciliation."Hamas-led security forces said they havelaunched aninvestigation.

Hamdallah, whose portrait is featured along with Abbas's andthose of Hamas leaders on Gaza posters promoting Palestinianunity, is based in the occupied West Bank.

He travelled overland, via Israel, to the Gaza Strip, andpolice said the motorcade was attacked near the enclave'snorthern town of Beit Hanoun. He later left Gaza as scheduled inanother convoy, with security men clutching automatic riflesstanding along the side of his vehicle.

White House holding talks onMideast

The White House was due to hold a meeting later on Tuesday,addressed by U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peacenegotiator, Jason Greenblatt, and Trump's son-in-law, JaredKushner, who are putting together U.S. proposals for a peaceagreement between Israelis and Palestinians.

In past years, Palestinian factions opposed to peace talkswith Israel have carried out attacks timed to coincide with suchinitiatives. Israeli-Palestinian negotiations collapsed in2014.

Hamas has condemned Trump's recent moves to recognizeJerusalem as the capital of Israeland move the U.S. Embassyto the city. The Palestinian Authority, which was also angeredby Trump's Jerusalem decision, has refused to participate inTuesday's White House meetingor meet with Trump's MiddleEast envoys.

Tuesday'sexplosion occurred near the spot where a U.S. diplomaticconvoy was blown up by a remote-controlled bomb in 2003 shortlyafter it entered the Gaza Strip. Three American securityspecialists were killed and a U.S. diplomat was injured.