Clashes between the two terror organizations have been escalating over the past weeks in a bloody power struggle amid concerns that the shootouts will erupt into a full-fledged civil war.
It seemed Monday night that the possibility was becoming a probability sooner than thought.
Fatah militants torched Hamas Chairman and PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh’s office in Ramallah. Haniyeh was not in his office, however, due to a travel ban imposed by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, which forces him to remain in Gaza.
Halil Rabai, the Hamas Chairman of the PA Parliament, was kidnapped by Fatah forces but was released a short time later. The kidnappers said they torched his office as well. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Legislative Council and government offices were targeted by Fatah gunmen, who shot at the buildings before setting them ablaze.
Fatah gunmen also kidnapped the brother of the late Hamas arch-terrorist leader, Abdel-Aziz Rantisi, who was eliminated in an Israeli air strike. The abduction was in supposed retaliation for the kidnapping by Hamas militants of a senior Fatah official. Dr. Salah Rantisi was in Khan Yunis when he was abducted.
The government building in Shechem was also targeted by gunfire. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the shooting.
On Tuesday, as well, Fatah men set fire to Hamas offices in Kalkilye and Salfit. Hamas called for its supporters to take to the streets in protest.
Abbas directed his forces to bring nine Hamas members of Parliament to his bomb shelter in the Mukata, the former headquarters of the late PLO chief Yasser Arafat, allegedly in order to protect them from the rampaging gunmen.
Overnight, Hamas used mosque speakers to call on its supporters to take to the streets of Gaza to protest the attack by Fatah militants on Hamas-led PA government buildings.
Earlier in the day, Abbas had ordered his security forces to go to high alert status after fierce battles in the southern Gaza town of Rafah left two dead and 15 injured.
The battle began at a Hamas funeral Monday, when a militant shot at the offices of the Preventive Security Force, which is under Fatah control. In response, Fatah officers shot and killed the Hamas gunman.
Fatah and Islamic Jihad supporters demanded an end to the fighting, but were fired on by Hamas forces as they approached the security agency headquarters. The Hamas forces fired anti-tank rockets and rocket-propelled grenades at the crowd, killing a Fatah supporter and blasting holes in the wall of the building.
Earlier in the day, the two groups exchanged gunfire in Gaza, killing a Hamas militant as well as a civilian. Fatah officials accused Hamas militants of trying to set fire to the Rafah headquarters of the Preventive Security Forces, whose chief was the target of an assassination attempt during a funeral on Saturday. Abu Shbak was reported uninjured in the attack, but two other people were injured, including one bystander.
Talks on Sunday between Abbas and Haniyeh aimed at ending the violence failed once again.
It seemed Monday night that the possibility was becoming a probability sooner than thought.
Fatah militants torched Hamas Chairman and PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh’s office in Ramallah. Haniyeh was not in his office, however, due to a travel ban imposed by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, which forces him to remain in Gaza.
Halil Rabai, the Hamas Chairman of the PA Parliament, was kidnapped by Fatah forces but was released a short time later. The kidnappers said they torched his office as well. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Legislative Council and government offices were targeted by Fatah gunmen, who shot at the buildings before setting them ablaze.
Fatah gunmen also kidnapped the brother of the late Hamas arch-terrorist leader, Abdel-Aziz Rantisi, who was eliminated in an Israeli air strike. The abduction was in supposed retaliation for the kidnapping by Hamas militants of a senior Fatah official. Dr. Salah Rantisi was in Khan Yunis when he was abducted.
The government building in Shechem was also targeted by gunfire. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the shooting.
On Tuesday, as well, Fatah men set fire to Hamas offices in Kalkilye and Salfit. Hamas called for its supporters to take to the streets in protest.
Abbas directed his forces to bring nine Hamas members of Parliament to his bomb shelter in the Mukata, the former headquarters of the late PLO chief Yasser Arafat, allegedly in order to protect them from the rampaging gunmen.
Overnight, Hamas used mosque speakers to call on its supporters to take to the streets of Gaza to protest the attack by Fatah militants on Hamas-led PA government buildings.
Earlier in the day, Abbas had ordered his security forces to go to high alert status after fierce battles in the southern Gaza town of Rafah left two dead and 15 injured.
The battle began at a Hamas funeral Monday, when a militant shot at the offices of the Preventive Security Force, which is under Fatah control. In response, Fatah officers shot and killed the Hamas gunman.
Fatah and Islamic Jihad supporters demanded an end to the fighting, but were fired on by Hamas forces as they approached the security agency headquarters. The Hamas forces fired anti-tank rockets and rocket-propelled grenades at the crowd, killing a Fatah supporter and blasting holes in the wall of the building.
Earlier in the day, the two groups exchanged gunfire in Gaza, killing a Hamas militant as well as a civilian. Fatah officials accused Hamas militants of trying to set fire to the Rafah headquarters of the Preventive Security Forces, whose chief was the target of an assassination attempt during a funeral on Saturday. Abu Shbak was reported uninjured in the attack, but two other people were injured, including one bystander.
Talks on Sunday between Abbas and Haniyeh aimed at ending the violence failed once again.