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Fatah leader and Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Minster Sefyan Abu Zayda (left) and senior Hamas leader Nezar Rayan announce the end of clashes between Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorists (a militia linked to Fatah movement) and Ezz el-Dein Al-Qassam brigades terrorists (a militia linked to the Hamas) on Wednesday. (AP)
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| By israelinsider staff and partners July 20, 2005 |
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Just a few hours after terrorist leaders of Hamas and the Palestinians' ruling Fatah party agreed to bury the hatchet, Hamas gunmen opened fire on the home of top Palestinian security chief Rashid Abu Shbak, and Fatah leader Abdullah Efrangi, and on a Fatah command center. Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV reported five people were wounded in the latest clashes Wednesday morning.
The clashes between the two terrorist factions began Friday, when two Palestinian teens were killed in a gunbattle. On Tuesday, the unrest led to Hamas offices torched by arsonists, wrecked cars and casualties on both sides.
Leaders of the two movements announced their "peace accord" at a news conference after midnight in Gaza City. "We agreed to withdraw all armed forces from the streets of northern Gaza," said local Hamas leader Mizar Rayyan.
Barely two hours later, Hamas gunmen refused to stop at a Palestinian police roadblock in Gaza, and then opened fire on the homes of Palestinian police chief, Rashid Abu Shbak, and Fatah leader Abdullah Efrangi, said Soufian Abu Zaida, a Cabinet minister and top Fatah official.
Abu Zaida played down the incident, however, saying the situation was under control.
With control of Gaza after the pullout at stake, Abbas is trying to contain increasingly defiant Islamic terrorists.
Fatah unofficially asked its affiliated terrorist group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, to help fight Hamas as Abbas seeks to ensure a smooth Israeli pullout from Gaza settlements, Fatah and Al Aqsa members said.
Abbas told foreign reporters in Gaza on Monday that he still preferred negotiations to temper terrorists' behavior, but he has recently begun using force, keenly aware of Hamas' growing power after it won a series of regional elections.
The Palestinian infighting came after six Israelis were killed in Palestinian terror attacks last week, including an Islamic Jihad suicide bombing in the seaside city of Netanya.
Israeli soldiers massed outside Gaza over the weekend, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he had given the army a free hand to halt Palestinian mortar and rocket fire.
The rhetoric cooled Monday, when Israeli and Palestinian leaders said they would try to stop the escalation.
But the internal Gaza conflicts flared again Tuesday when the offices of two Hamas-affiliated research companies were burned down, residents said. Separately, a gunbattle broke out after a Palestinian police patrol traveling near a Hamas stronghold refused to stop at a makeshift Hamas roadblock.
The Palestinian Authority said nine police officers were wounded, and three cars were hit with grenades.
A Hamas terrorist, speaking on condition of anonymity fearing reprisals, said Palestinian police opened fire on Hamas positions for no reason. During the clashes several cars were torched, witnesses said.
At the news conference announcing the accord, Palestinian Cabinet minister Sufian Abu Zaydeh of Fatah said differences with Hamas "have been put behind us." Both sides pledged to negotiate over future disagreements instead of resorting to force.
Hamas is contesting parliamentary elections for the first time after doing well in local voting, but in parallel, the Islamic movement shows no signs of giving up its armed struggle against Israel and poses a significant threat to Abbas.
Senior members of both Fatah and Al Aqsa in the West Bank said Abbas has enlisted the help of Al Aqsa in his fight against Hamas. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the move is not official Palestinian Authority policy.
This development would add a complicated twist, because Abbas is also under pressure to dismantle Al Aqsa. Though affiliated with Fatah, Al Aqsa has also posed a threat to Abbas' authority, remaining armed and sometimes clashing with Palestinian police.
The AP contributed to this report.
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