Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault    

    RAMALLAH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian lawmaker of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement said on Monday that mediating efforts continued in a bid to solve the Gaza crisis over the abduction of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants but no progress had been achieved.

    Azzam al-Ahmad told local radio the "Voice of Palestine" that mediation by Egyptian officials had still been going on and that there were also other foreign sides involved in the efforts. But no progress had been made, said al-Ahmad, without revealing details.

    In addition, the Fatah lawmaker said that Fatah and rivaling Hamas united despite differences in face of the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

    "The people unite when there is a danger from outside regardless of their differences," he said. "We are in a real battle and it is not the time for other things which is now considered minor."

    Israeli troops pressed ahead the Gaza offensive on Monday in a bid to rescue the kidnapped soldier and halt Palestinian militant rocket firing from Gaza onto southern Israel.

    Last week, Palestinian militants who took the Israeli soldier hostage announced pulling out of talks with mediators after Israel rejected their demands to release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

    Supporters of Fatah and Hamas have put aside disagreements and fought shoulder to shoulder against the Israeli incursions.

    The once-dominant Fatah was defeated by Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, in the January legislative polls.

    Loyalists of the two groups had clashed violently before the start of the Israeli Gaza offensive. Enditem