Saturday, January 27, 2007

Arab News: "Palestinian Violence Unabated"

Why don't we ever get good, comprehensive statistics on the total number of Palestinians killed by other Palestinians? How likely is it that for some time it has exceeded the number killed by Israelis? For some of the best attention paid to this issue so far, see these posts from the Elder of Ziyon blog. The following article is also quite suggestive:
The Arab League condemned “irrational” Palestinian infighting as supporters of Hamas and Fatah clashed with guns and grenades for the third straight day yesterday.

Two men were killed in yesterday’s violence, bringing the death toll to 20 since late Thursday. At least 66 people have been killed since then.
Meaning today?
Both Hamas and Fatah traded angry accusations, and each held several supporters of the other side hostage.

The violence froze talks about bringing Fatah into the Hamas-led government, negotiators said.

The Gaza fighting, which started late Thursday, was among the deadliest in nearly two months. Gunbattles raged across Gaza City on Friday and continued early yesterday. One man was killed late Thursday, followed by 16 deaths on Friday and two more yesterday. Also, a Hamas gunman died yesterday of wounds received the day before, medics said.

Streets in the hardest-hit neighborhoods were deserted yesterday, and only bakeries and groceries opened for business. Gaza City’s main outdoor market was closed. Al-Azhar University called off exams scheduled for yesterday, and the Interior Ministry told its employees to go home.

A gunbattle erupted yesterday near the Islamic University, killing one man, according to hospital officials. In a firefight elsewhere in the city, a Palestinian policeman was killed.

Before dawn, Hamas gunmen fired mortars at the Abbas-allied Preventive Security Force headquarters and at the home of Rashid Abu Shebak, head of internal security. Grenades were also thrown at the home of Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Al-Zahar.

“The Arab League expresses its regret and discontent at the assassinations and kidnappings on the Palestinian front which could lead to dire consequences,” spokesman Hesham Youssef told reporters.

“It is irrational and unacceptable that the Palestinian factions are distracted from freeing the occupied territories by plunging into deadly infighting which benefits only the Israeli occupation forces,” Youssef said.

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