2 kidnapped, 15 injured in Hamas-Fatah clashes
While Israel is striking in Gaza, Plestinians continue to clash; assassination of Hamas chief leads to clashes between factions; 2 Hamas gunmen kidnapped as a result, negotiations are ongoing for their release
While the IDF is attacking gunmen in Gaza, the Palestinians continue to fight among themselves. Since the early hours of Friday morning, 15 Palestinians were wounded in clashes between rival armed factions in the town of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza.
In addition, Fatah forces managed to kidnap two Hamas activists, and negotiations are underway to ease the tensions and release the two activists.
Gunmen in Gaza (Photo: AFP)
According to Palestinian sources, 13 out of the 15 wounded in the clashes are unarmed civilians. Two activists of Hamas and Fatah were among the injured.
The clashes between the sides began several hours after the assassination of Majd Abu-Drabia, commander of Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades in Beit Lahiya. Hamas has blamed the Fatah for the action and sent forces to surround the homes of Samih al-Madhoon and Baha Jarad, both commanders from Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in northern Gaza.
Sources in the Palestinian Authority estimate that the conflicts between the sides will only worsen and that the only way it will stop is if Israel carries out its threat of a large scale ground offensive in Gaza.
