Hamas captures Fatah positions, threatens to step up offensive

Hamas fighters on Tuesday captured several positions from the rival Fatah movement and threatened to step up the offensive after a rocket-propelled grenade hit the home of the Hamas prime minister. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused his Hamas rivals of staging a coup.

There were no injuries in the early-morning attack on Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh’s home - the second in two days. But the attack underscored the increasingly ruthless nature of the fighting, which has killed 18 people in recent days. Exasperated Egyptian mediators said the bitter rivals turned down an appeal to meet for truce talks. (AP)