Israeli is preparing to transfer to the West Bank Palestinian Fatah activists who fled internecine fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Defence Ministry said Monday.

The move comes amid fierce inter-Palestinian clashes in the Strip between Fatah and Hamas, which administers the enclave. It overturns a previous decision made at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and West Bank-based acting Premier Salam Fayyad to return those fleeing to the salient.

Some 180 Fatah men, 22 of whom were injured, sought refugee in Israel on Saturday night. After Abbas and Fayyad took responsibility for their security, Israel began returning them to the Gaza Strip, but halted the process after receiving information that they were being arrested by Hamas and their lives were in danger.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak ordered a re-evalution of the situation and direct discussion with Palestinian officials to convince them to allow the refugees to enter the Ramallah area.

The latest Fatah-Hamas fighting in the Gaza Strip was sparked by a car bomb on July 25 which killed five Hamas militants and a small girl. Hamas blamed Fatah for the blast and launched a crackdown, which in turn led to the latest violence between the two rival groups.

The latest clashes are the worst internecine fighting since June 2007, when Hamas militants routed forces loyal to Abbas and seized security control of the salient.