Fatah gunmen in streets
Photo: Reuters
Gaza tensions escalate: Grenade thrown at Hamas rally
Two Hamas activists injured after Fatah member throws grenade on rally held by Hamas in Nuseirat refugee camp in heart of Strip. According to reports, Fatah gunmen are deploying across Gaza
Two Hamas activists were injured Wednesday after a grenade was hurled by a Fatah member at a rally held by Hamas in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza. Hamas security officers managed to subdue the attacker.
The incident marks the renewal and escalation of the confrontation between the rivaling movements, in the framework of which a Palestinian judge affiliated with Hamas was murdered Wednesday morning.
Hamas judge's funeral (Photo: AP)
Hamas pointed an accusing finger at Fatah and blamed it for the murder, while Fatah claims that the man was murdered as part of a family feud.
In the evening, Palestinian sources reported that a large number of gunmen deployed across the Strip and began firing in the air. According to witnesses, most of the gunmen are Fatah members and active in the security forces.
Sources in the Palestinian Authority fear that the confrontation between the two sides will worsen, especially ahead of President Mahmoud Abbas' speech on Saturday, in which he may announce a series of political steps Hamas disapproves of.
The Palestinians have also reported that the security forces succeeded in preventing the kidnapping of a 10 year-old girl. However, the motive for the abduction attempt is unclear at present.
