Death toll reaches 43 in the past 48 hours as the conflict intensifies in Gaza 

Date: 12 / 06 / 2007 Time: 15:06

Gaza - Ma'an - 

Director General of ambulances and emergencies in the Palestinian Health Ministry, Dr. Muawiya Abu Hassanain, said that 21 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday evening. Ten of the dead are national security members and eleven are from Hamas.

Clashes erupted around the main station of the security forces in the northern Gaza Strip.

Hassanein said this brings the death toll in the last 48 hours to 43, in addition to dozens of injuries.

Hundreds of security men deployed in the streets were confronted by hundreds of Hamas members and the sound of explosions and shooting could be heard in the different areas of the Gaza Strip.

Clashes on Tuesday

A member of the Palestinian security forces and a member of the Hamas-affiliated Al Qassam Brigades were killed on Tuesday and 14 other Gaza citizens were injured during ongoing armed confrontations between Hamas and Fatah in Deir al Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.

Our Gaza correspondent stated that the clashes spread to several areas of the strip, whilst the Al-Qassam Brigades announced the northern Gaza Strip "a closed zone."

Palestinian medical sources announced that national security service member, Muhammad Safi, aged 35, was killed east of Deir al Balah.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced that one of their members, Ihab Nassar, was killed in the same area.

In Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, hundreds of Al-Qassam combatants and members of the Executive Force, which is affiliated to the interior ministry, were deployed in the streets and erected roadblocks in order to inspect cars.

In addition, the body of 'Umar Nabhan Rantissi, 20, the nephew of the Hamas leader, Abdul Aziz Rantissi, who was assassinated by Israel in 2003, was found on Tuesday morning in Khan Younis. He had been kidnapped on Monday around 10 pm. Hamas blamed Fatah for his assassination.

Unidentified gunmen also took control of a building which is a part of Khan Younis municipality on Tuesday, after raiding it and taking three hostages.

Also in Khan Younis, at least four shells were launched at the Technological Science College causing vast damage.

Earlier on Tuesday, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's house in Gaza City, causing material damage but no casualties, Palestinian security sources reported.

In another incident, four mortar shells were fired towards the headquarters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza City. Also no casualties were reported.

200 gunmen raid PLC member's home

Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) from the Fatah bloc, Nabil Sha'ath's, home in the northern Gaza Strip was raided by more than 200 gunmen on Tuesday.

Sha'ath's escort, Hani Rawwagh, told Ma'an that Sha'ath's house was invaded by a huge mob of gunmen and its contents were demolished.

Rawwagh added that the gunmen injured one of Sha'ath's escorts before they withdrew.

Hamas has not confirmed the story.

Executive Force declares state of alert

The Executive Force, which is affiliated to the Palestinian interior ministry, declared on Tuesday a state of alert and summoned all its members to be ready. They said that they would "no longer" remain with their hands tied in the face of all those who incite against the Executive Force.

In a statement received by Ma'an, the Executive Force affirmed that they are part of the Palestinian security services. They added that their role is particularly important when the performance of the security services is being questioned.

The statement added that "the mouthpieces of sedition" against the Executive Force "were launched as if this force was alien to the Palestinian people." On the contrary, the Executive Force said that it represents "the elite" of the Palestinian resistance factions.

Al-Aqsa Brigades' threats

The statements of the Executive Force followed threats from Fatah's armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, that they would take their battle to the West Bank.

Following the death of the secretary general of the Fatah movement in the northern Gaza Strip region and a senior Al-Aqsa leader, Jamal Abu Al-Jidyan, in clashes late on Monday evening, the Al-Aqsa Brigades threatened on Tuesday to target Hamas leaders and activists in the West Bank.

Fatah spokesperson Abu 'Uday told Ma'an exclusively via telephone, "Our warning to Hamas starts before Monday midnight and ends Tuesday at 11:00 pm."

He added: "If Hamas continues to kill Fatah activists in the Gaza Strip, as they did with Jamal Abu Al-Jidyan, and his family, we will target all Hamas leaders and activists in the West Bank without exceptions. We will strike hard in order to deter the Hamas leadership who give the orders to kill our brothers in Gaza Strip."

Eyewitnesses also said that fierce confrontations took place in western Gaza City on Tuesday morning near the home of Fatah spokesman Mahir Miqdad.

Some of the dead are named

On Tuesday afternoon, Palestinian medical sources named the following dead due to clashes over the past 24 hours:

Yasser Bakir, 27; Saddam Bakir, 18; Basil Kafarna, 25; 'Eid Al-Masri, 56, and his sons Faraj Al-Masri, 23, and Ibrahim 'Eid Al-Masri, 21; Muhammad Mihjiz, 20; Muhammad Dahdouh, 21; Mazen 'Ajouz, 30; Jamal Abu Al-Jidyan, 45, and his brother Majid Abu Al-Jidyan, 33; Ms. Rayah Mihsin, 75; Ms. Sara Mihsin, 15; Ms. Dalal Mihsin, 19; Jamal Rabi', 13; 'Umar Rantisi, 20; and Mousa Abu Zeinah, 40.

Our correspondent also reported on Tuesday morning that at least 10 houses had been torched in western Gaza City.

Several RPG shells hits Palestinian prime minister's house, death toll reaches 20 

Tuesday June 12, 2007 11:50 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News ghassanb at imemc dot org

Palestinian sources reported that several RPG shells hit the house of Palestinian Prime Minister Isma'el Haniyeh on Tuesday. While damage was sustained, no injuries were reported.

Palestinian sources reported that a group of masked gunmen fired several RPG shells at the Palestinian prime minister's home.

On Tuesday morning, unknown gunmen also kidnapped a leader of Hamas' military wing and executed him on the street. The leader was identified as Omer Al Rantisi, 20, the brother of Abd Al Aziz Al Rantisi, a Hamas leader assassinated by Israel in 2004. The Hamas movement reported that the gunmen were comprised of a Fatah-affiliated force.

In the meantime, a further Palestinian civilian was killed while on his way to work. Mussa Abu Zinah, 50, was traveling to his workplace when Fatah and Hamas gunmen clashed in Gaza city center. In the ensuing chaos, a stray round hit Abu Zinah in the chest and killed him, medical sources reported.

Fatah gunmen on Tuesday also attacked the house of a Hamas law maker and set it on fire, severely damaging the property.

In a further incident on Tuesday, the Fatah movement reported that Hamas fighters attacked the house of Hassan Abu Rabi'e, a Fatah security official. The fighters stormed Rabi'e's home, killed his 14 year old son and another three women who were in the house at the time of the attack.

The death toll in this latest round of infighting has reached 20 since Sunday, among then one child and three women.

The two-day-long clashes between gunmen from both Hamas and Fatah left four dead by Sunday night. While truce was reached, it did not last for more than a few hours and deadly clashes between Fatah and Hamas gunmen continued on Monday, leaving nine Palestinians killed in spite of the aforementioned ceasefire.

Currently, Hamas and Fatah fighters have taken to the streets all over the Gaza strip. Eyewitnesses have reported that both groups are installing checkpoints throughout the area and stopping and searching cars in an attempt to kidnap and kill rivals. Witnesses added that such practices and attacks are widespread throughout the region.

Latest reports indicate that a gun battle has broken out between the rival factions at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. Hamas fighters have reportedly taken control of the upper floors of the hospital, with Fatah forces deploying nearby.

In other news, the Presdiential Guards have stormed the offices of the Hamas-controlled al-Aqsa television in Ramallah, confiscating equipment and documents.

 

---

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.