Senior leader of Al Qassam brigades dies from wounds sustained during last week’s infighting

Tuesday May 22, 2007 12:23 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian sources reported that a senior leader of the Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, was announced dead on Tuesday after succumbing to wounds sustained during last week's Hamas-Fatah infighting.

Mohamed Abu Al Khier was injured when Fatah-allied security forces opened fire at a funeral in Gaza city. He was admitted to Gaza hospital with critical wounds, but died today.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and prime minister Isma'el Haniyeh of Hamas agreed on a ceasefire late last week after five days of intense clashes between the two groups in the Gaza Strip. The clashes left at least 40 killed, among them women and children, and at least 100 injured.

This week, the Al Najah National University in Nablus city in the West Bank issued an opinion poll showing that 90% of Palestinians are not optimistic that the current Hamas-Fatah ceasefire will hold.

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