Gunman
Photo: Reuters
Gaza gunmen abduct two 'collaborators'
A newly formed armed group within the Fatah movement announced it had taken the men because security forces had failed to bring to justice suspected collaborators
Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip seized two men they accused of collaborating with Israel on Tuesday in another sign of lawlessness in the territory that Israeli forces abandoned last month.
A newly formed armed group within the Fatah movement announced it had taken the men because security forces had failed to bring to justice suspected collaborators during a five-year-old uprising.
"We have carried out the kidnappings and the interrogation after the Palestinian Authority failed to respond to our calls to do so," Abu Anan, a spokesman for The Knights of The Tempest told Reuters.
They did not say what would happen to the men if found guilty. Armed groups have executed Palestinians accused of being part of Israel's informant network.
The Palestinian Authority has also carried out death sentences against convicted collaborators.
Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfiq Abu Khoussa said security forces would take "appropriate measures" following the abduction of the two men and would not allow any faction to take the law into their own hands. He did not specify the planned measures.
"It is the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority to maintain law and order," he said.
The two men were displayed at a news conference, hooded, with hands tied facing a wall as several gunmen pointed assault rifles at them.
"This is just the beginning of our campaign against those who betrayed their homeland and their people," said Abu Anan.
Lawlessness has intensified in the Gaza Strip following Israel's withdrawal from the territory in September. Security forces have struggled to cope with the plethora of armed factions formed during the uprising.
Groups have carried out a series of kidnappings of Palestinians and foreigners to press particular demands. Last week, Palestinian gunmen briefly abducted an American reporter and a British photographer before releasing them unharmed
