 |
 |
 |
|
|
PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (file)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By israelinsider staff May 16, 2007 |
|
| |
 Bookmark to del.icio.us |
| |
Wednesday marked the fourth day of faction fighting in the Gaza strip, leaving at least 13 dead and bringing the total to 41 killed since Sunday.
Hamas gunman accidentally killed five of their own Wednesday when they ambushed a Fatah jeep carrying Hamas prisoners. Two Fatah-affiliated Preventive Security force men, who had been guarding the detainees, were also killed in the ambush, said Fatah officials.
Though the circumstances of the attack remain unclear, according to Preventative Security officials, policemen from the force were driving through Gaza City with the arrested Hamas men when the jeep was ambushed.
Earlier the same day, Hamas gunmen forced their way into the house of Fatah security chief Rashid Abu Shbak, after firing mortars and pipe bombs at the home, and lined up and shot dead six of Fatah bodyguards.
At least 12 of Abu Shbak's bodyguards were present at the house at the time, but Abu Shbak and his family were not there. Hamas claimed that these guards fired on the Hamas gunmen, causing them to enter the house.
Fatah spokesman Abdel Hakim Awad, however, blamed Hamas, calling the group's leadership "killers from top to bottom," and saying the group "wanted to turn Gaza into a new Somalia or Darfur."
A group of Gazans attempted to protest against the raging violence Wednesday by rallying between the fighting groups, but were caught in the clashes, and forced to run for cover. Eight were injured, said hospital officials.
One of the protesters yelled, "Just as we used to protect you from the occupation by acting as human shields, we have come to protect you from yourselves," alluding to times when Palestinians stood between gunmen and IDF forces, reported Haaretz.
Hospital officials also said that a nurse was killed in the crossfire while riding in an ambulance.
Haaretz reported that another Hamas man and two Fatah men were also killed, but the details are not verified.
The violent clashes have rendered obsolete the newest cease-fire agreement which PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh announced Tuesday. According to the agreement the gunmen were to leave the streets and prisoners were to be released. Soon following the announcement, however, a group of Egyptian mediators in Gaza to help negotiate between the two factions were shot at by gunmen while driving in their car. No one was injured.
The spokesman of Fatah's armed wing in Gaza called on President Abbas and all of the Fatah ministers to resign Wednesday, in response to the day's killings, reported Israel Radio.
"Abu Mazen [Abbas] must declare a state of emergency. The unity government is a lie. There is no unity in the Palestinian people," he stated. |
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
