GAZA, July 16 (Xinhuanet) -- An Egyptian intelligence delegation will arrive in Gaza city Sunday afternoon to mediate between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Hamas movement, Palestinian security sources said.

    According to the sources, the delegation headed by Egypt's deputy intelligence chief Major General Mustafa Buheiri will exert all efforts to solve the current crisis between the two Palestinian groups and maintain the period of calmness announced in Cairo dialogues in March.

    Earlier on Saturday, a senior Palestinian official criticized Hamas for premeditating clashes with police in the latest episode of growing lawlessness in the Palestinian territories.

    Tawfeek Abu Khousa, a spokesman of the Interior Ministry, said the confrontations between Hamas militants and police in Gaza on late Thursday and Friday were triggered by Hamas with politicalimplications.

    The clashes occurred when police tried to prevent Hamas militants from firing rockets on Israel. Two people were killed and about 25 others injured in the incident.

    In the meantime, a new wave of violence has frayed a five-month-long truce between the Palestinians and Israel and cast a pall over the coming Israeli pullout from Gaza due in August.

    A spokesman of Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Friday that Egypt has called on Israel to exercise self-restraint and urged the Jewish state not to escalate its military actions against some ofthe Palestinian factions.

    On a parallel line, Egypt was also conducting intensive contactswith all the Palestinian factions, urging them to adhere to the Cairo agreement, the spokesman added. Enditem