At least five people were killed and more than 12 others wounded, according to Arab media reports – including five children who were caught in the crossfire in some of the bloodiest infighting ever seen between the Hamas and Fatah terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
The bodies of two Fatah security officials were dumped in a street after being kidnapped and killed by Hamas gunmen, said Fatah sources.
Northern Gaza Governor Ismail Abu Shamallah, a senior Fatah official, survived an assassination attempt after gunmen riddled his car with bullets.
Two other Fatah security officers were killed in a shootout with Hamas fighters in Gaza City, and a Hamas police officer was killed in a firefight at a hospital.
Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told reporters that his group is upholding the ceasefire agreement. “The problem,” he said, “is that not all of Fatah’s militias are participating in this decision.”
“You never know who is who,” said a taxi driver quoted by the Reuters news agency. “The streets are divided between Hamas and Fatah gunmen.”
Both Fatah PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called for calm as the violence continued spiral out of control. "I call on everyone to cease fire now, without exception, to adhere to a ceasefire and to end the killings and all other operations in order to maintain our national unity," said Abbas.
"This nation, this people, will be united in front of the occupation and aggression and will not be engaged, despite the wounds of the past few days, in internal fight," said Haniyeh, who urged the warring factions to unite against Israel, not each other.
American Middle East security envoy General Keith Dayton has suggested $42 million in aid for Abbas' Force 17. The money would be used to expand the militia to 6,000 fighters who are facing the well-equipped and well-disciplined Hamas milita in daily clashes.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair also proposed immediate help for Abbas in hopes of blocking Hamas from achieving a military or political victory against the relatively more moderate Fatah faction.
The bodies of two Fatah security officials were dumped in a street after being kidnapped and killed by Hamas gunmen, said Fatah sources.
Northern Gaza Governor Ismail Abu Shamallah, a senior Fatah official, survived an assassination attempt after gunmen riddled his car with bullets.
Two other Fatah security officers were killed in a shootout with Hamas fighters in Gaza City, and a Hamas police officer was killed in a firefight at a hospital.
Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told reporters that his group is upholding the ceasefire agreement. “The problem,” he said, “is that not all of Fatah’s militias are participating in this decision.”
“You never know who is who,” said a taxi driver quoted by the Reuters news agency. “The streets are divided between Hamas and Fatah gunmen.”
Both Fatah PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called for calm as the violence continued spiral out of control. "I call on everyone to cease fire now, without exception, to adhere to a ceasefire and to end the killings and all other operations in order to maintain our national unity," said Abbas.
"This nation, this people, will be united in front of the occupation and aggression and will not be engaged, despite the wounds of the past few days, in internal fight," said Haniyeh, who urged the warring factions to unite against Israel, not each other.
American Middle East security envoy General Keith Dayton has suggested $42 million in aid for Abbas' Force 17. The money would be used to expand the militia to 6,000 fighters who are facing the well-equipped and well-disciplined Hamas milita in daily clashes.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair also proposed immediate help for Abbas in hopes of blocking Hamas from achieving a military or political victory against the relatively more moderate Fatah faction.