Special report: Internal situation in Palestine

    RAMALLAH, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- A kidnapped Palestinian minister was released on Thursday morning, just hours after he was captured in the West Bank city of Ramallah late on Wednesday.

    Deputy Health Minister Bashar al-Karmi told reporters that his captors had warned him that if the violence in Gaza would not to be stopped, they would move to escalate the violence in the West Bank.

    Al-Karmi was kidnapped from his house in al-Bira by unknown gunmen who had taken his laptop and some money, according to security sources.

    The abduction came hours after factions announced end of violence between Fatah and Hamas in Gaza.

    Security sources confirmed that officials from Fatah and Hamas had agreed to tone down tension following bloody clashes on Wednesday which left five people dead.

    In the West Bank city of Jenin, unknown people set fire to the car of Prisoners' Affairs Minister Wasfi Qabha of Hamas on Thursday morning, security officials said.