Five Palestinians were killed on Wednesday morning as the internal clashes renewed between rival Palestinian factions. In the meantime the Israeli army shelled several areas in the Gaza strip.The internal clashes renewed in several parts of Gaza city, the deadliest being in Tal Al Hawa neighborhood where gunmen surrounded the house of Rashid Abu Shubak, the director of the internal security forces in the Palestinian Authority. Witnesses told Palestinian media that the gunmen showered the house of Shubak with mortar shells and live rounds, killing four of his bodyguards and injuring another 12. Al Shubak’s gaurds managed to help his family escape before the gunmen stormed the house, local sources reported.
Medical sources reported that among those killed were Al Abd Rabuh and Ahmad Hamida. These sources added that gunmen and Palestinian security forces were clashing with each other throughout Gaza city and that these clashes made it extremely difficult for emergency medical teams to evacuate the injured people.
A further Palestinian security officer from was shot and killed when he was standing at his post near the UNRWA building in Gaza city. Several others were injured in this attack.
On the same morning, gunmen surrounded the house of Samier Al Mishharawi, a top Fatah leader. However, after talks and negotiations, the gunmen left, Fatah officials reported.
The executive force and Fatah spokesman Abd Al Hakeem Awad blamed fighters from the Hamas Al Qassam brigades for these attacks, claims that were refuted by Hamas officials who stated that they were fired on first.
The death toll in the Gaza strip since the beginning of this week has now risen to at least 22 people.
On Wednesday while the Palestinian resistance groups and factions were busy killing each other, Israeli army tanks stationed at the northern Gaza borders shelled Palestinian houses in Beit Lahia and Beit Hannon. The shelling damaged homes and cars but no injuries were reported.
On the same day, Israeli war boats attacked and opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats near the costal line of Gaza city just a few hundred meters away from where the internal clashes were taking place.
