Six reported killed in Gaza infighting Monday

Tuesday January 01, 2008 07:54 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Late on Monday evening, clashes reportedly broke out between the rival Fateh and Hamas parties in the Gaza Strip. Some sources have reported as many as six dead in the evening gunbattles, with up to 30 wounded.

Apparently the clashes broke out after Hamas banned a 34th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Fateh party. Hamas security forces reportedly raided a university in the morning, arresting Fateh supporters, and the Fateh leadership decided to cancel the planned gathering.

Hamas and Fateh are the two major Palestinian parties – Hamas was elected to power by the Palestinian people in democratic elections in January 2006, but Israel and the U.S. refused to recognize the government they formed. Instead, the U.S. and Israel called on the Fateh party, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, to appoint a separate government. Hamas subsequently took control in the Gaza Strip, and Fateh took control in the West Bank.

There has been sporadic infighting throughout 2007, in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed. The vast majority of Palestinians killed in the two Palestinian territories, however, were killed by Israeli occupying forces.

Among those killed Friday were a teenager and a Hamas security official, according to local sources. The names of those killed have not yet been released as of this writing.

gaza strip | internal unrest | news report saed at imemc dot org