Gaza clashes between Fateh and Hamas continue: At least 14 killed Wednesday 

Date: 13 / 06 / 2007 Time: 14:41

Gaza - Ma'an - The violence in the Gaza Strip continued on Wednesday after a fierce night of fighting between Hamas and Fatah-affiliated combatants, mainly in the centre and north of the Strip.

Nine bodies were transported to hospitals in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning as clashes broke out afresh. On Wednesday afternoon, clashes erupted in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Wednesday's death toll is believed to be at least ten; other reports say over fourteen dead.

At the same time, hundreds of Palestinian citizens took to the streets to demonstrate against the clashes and demand an end to the fighting between Hamas and Fatah combatants.

Fierce night time clashes

All night long, fierce clashes continued between Hamas and Executive Force members from one side, and the national forces and guards belonging to the Fatah spokesman, Mahir Muqdad, from the other side, in the northern Gaza Strip. Many Palestinians were killed or injured, and ambulances could not reach the area.

Nine bodies, reported to be of Fatah members, were found on Wednesday morning near the Maqousi tower in the northern Gaza Strip, just hours after they were killed in these clashes.

Medical sources in Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said that seven of the nine bodies arrived at the hospital early on Wednesday when ambulances finally succeeded in reaching the area of the Maqousi tower.

Other clashes erupted in front of the Nuseirat towers in the central Gaza Strip; these residential high-rise buildings were evacuated last night, according to Palestinian sources.

Palestinian sources added that a security services member, Hani Abu Shamla, was killed and nine others injured in clashes after midnight on Tuesday when Hamas fighters attacked posts belonging to the national security services in Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip.

Wednesday's clashes

On Wednesday morning, a national security force member was killed and nine others injured in the central Gaza Strip. His body was taken to Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya.

Another security force member was killed in Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip later on Wednesday. Security sources said that the man was killed by a sniper stationed on high-rise buildings in the city.

On Wednesday afternoon, another man, Sabr Jawdat Barbakh, 22, died from wounds he sustained in clashes in Khan Younis this morning.

The ongoing clashes have resulted in at least three further casualties.

Hamas militias order Palestinian security forces to hand over their weapons 

Date: 13 / 06 / 2007 Time: 14:38

Gaza - Ma'an – 

The Hamas-affiliated Qassam Brigades on Wednesday ordered the security forces to hand-over their weapons to the brigades.

In a statement, the brigades said that the security forces have until 7pm on Friday to submit all of their weapons to the Qassam Brigades. The statement said that the command applies to all security forces; excluding the police force, the civil defence and the Executive Force.

The statement insisted that the command has been made as the brigades "care for the Palestinian national and popular interests."

The brigades pledged that anyone who hands over his weapons will be safe, but anyone who defies the order "will be a wanted man by the brigades."

Fateh gives Hamas 12 hours to end attacks in Gaza 

Date: 13 / 06 / 2007 Time: 14:13

Nablus - Ma'an - 

Fateh's armed wing threatened on Wednesday to strike Hamas representatives in the West Bank "if Hamas will not stop attacking Fateh members in the [Gaza] Strip".

During a protest march in the West Bank city of the Nablus, the Al-Aqsa Brigades threatened harsh retaliation if the attacks did not end in 12 hours.

A brigade leader in Nablus said: "The brigades are giving the Al Qassam Brigades [the armed wing of Hamas] and the Executive Force [a force under the command of the interior ministry but considered loyal to Hamas] 12 hours to stop the aggression against Fateh members and the security bodies in the [Gaza] Strip and to return to their bases. If not, we will hit Hamas in the West Bank."

During the march, in which dozens of Al-Aqsa Brigades' members participated, Mo'in Hijazi, a leader of the brigades in the city, reiterated the threat: "We give them 12 hours".

A leader from the Fateh-affiliated Al Awda ('Return') Brigades in the West Bank, Abboud Akkouba, warned during the same march, "We are against the internal fighting but if we are forced to take part, we will."

A statement issued by the Fateh movement during the same march in Nablus said, "What is going on in the Strip - executions and the destruction of the national project - is only carried out by a corrupt group; they don't want our people to be free."

The statement blamed Hamas for the events in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Wednesday, security sources said that two Hamas members were shot at in Nablus. This was in addition to the abduction of the undersecretary of the ministry of the transportation, Faydi Shabana, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday, who is believed to be affiliated to Hamas.

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