GAZA/RAMALLAH, Oct. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Ibrahim Abu Naja, chief of the Following-up Committee that consists of 13 Palestinian factions, said Sunday evening that the committee was convening in Gaza City to discuss how to reach calmness with Israel.

   Abu Naja told reporters that the meeting was discussing the latest Israeli military escalation and how the factions respond to the Israeli move collectively, not unilaterally.

   Leaders from the 13 groups, including the Fatah movement, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), attended the meeting.

   According to an agreement reached in Egypt in March, responding to any Israeli violation should be decided collectively, not unilaterally, Abu Naja said.

   He denied an earlier report that all Palestinian factions had agreed to honor a calmness agreement amid the current Israeli military escalation.

   Meanwhile, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), said in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday that the PNA has intensified its contacts with other governments to urge Israel to end its military offensives.

   He said the PNA is asking the United States and several European countries to exert pressure on Israel to end its large-scale offensives against the Palestinians. Enditem