Moscow - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday ensured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Russia's continued support for the Palestinians in the Middle East.

The number of problems has definitely not grown less," said Medvedev as he received Abbas for an official meeting at the Kremlin, reported the Interfax news service.

Ramallah - The European Union's Police Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support (EUPOL COPPS) is facing limitations, frustrations and challenges, the outgoing head of the unit said Monday.

Speaking to reporters as he ended his term of duty, Colin Smith expressed disappointment that the Palestinian police his unit trains is not able to pursue criminals throughout the West Bank.

"Criminals move in areas A, B and C of the West Bank and in Israel while the Palestinian police cannot move freely in these areas," he said.

Ramallah - The Palestinian Authority rejected an Israeli offer to withdraw from more than 93 per cent of the occupied West Bank because the remaining 7 per cent would divide the Palestinian Territories, Palestinian newspapers reported Saturday.

Israel wanted to annex four settlement blocs spread throughout the West Bank which would mean that "the most important territories will be annexed by Israel and the rest will not allow the formation of a Palestinian entity," Ahmad Qureia, head of the Palestinian negotiating team with Israel, said in a special interview with three newspapers.

Gaza City  - Around 70,000 Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civil servants got their salaries paid Thursday night after Israel agreed to transfer 100 million shekels (25 million dollars) to the Gaza Strip.

The PA Monetary Authority in the West Bank said in a statement sent to reporters that the Israeli currency arrived in Gaza Thursday evening.

Ramallah - The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Thursday criticized a European Union decision to upgrade the bloc's relations with Israel, saying the decision rewards Israel for continuing to violate Palestinian rights.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on the official Voice of Palestine radio the PA's disappointment with the EU decision saying "we expected the EU to force Israel to stop settlement activities" and other violations of Palestinian rights.

On Monday 27 EU foreign ministers agreed to upgrade the EU's relations with Israel, which will bring high-level regular meetings between Israeli politicians and EU leaders.

Arab states campaigned against the deal, which was negotiated over the past 18 months.

Beirut  - One person was killed and another wounded in a clash Monday which erupted between family members inside a Palestinian camp in southern Lebanon, Palestinian sources said.

The clash escalated into a deadly gunbattle between supporters of the opposing Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah in the small Miyeh Miyeh Palestinian camp near the southern port city of Sidon, the sources said.

During the clash, heavy machineguns, such as automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, were used, Palestinian officials said.