11 February 2005	Friday	01 Muharram 1426

GAZA, Feb 10: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas fired three of his top security chiefs on Thursday after militants punctured a ceasefire he had agreed with Israel by bombarding Jewish settlements in Gaza with mortars.

After the attacks, Israel put off security coordination talks scheduled as a follow-up to Tuesday's groundbreaking meeting in Egypt with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. But an Israeli official said troops would not retaliate for the attack, which saw some 50 mortar bombs and rockets hit settlements in Gaza.

There were no casualties in the attacks by militants who have refused to participate in Mr Abbas's ceasefire gesture, and plans for him to reconvene with Mr Sharon next week at the Israeli leader's desert ranch remained in place.

Palestinian officials said Abdel Razek al Majaydeh, public security chief for the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian Authority police chief Saeb al Ajez and Omar Ashour, commander of the security forces in the southern Gaza Strip, were all dismissed.

"Nobody can shirk their duties, and measures will be taken to boost the capability of the security services in accordance with decisions taken at the political level," Palestinian Security Council member Jibril Rajoub said.

In another reminder of armed chaos in the Palestinian street challenging Mr Abbas, dozens of militants, including Hamas members, stormed into a Gaza City prison on Thursday and shot dead three inmates in a settling of scores between feuding clans.-Reuters