Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Monday at night that two Palestinians were killed and at least 15 were injured, three seriously, during clashes between Fateh gunmen and members of the Executive Force formed by Hamas.
The clashes took place in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, during a procession organized by Fateh supporters against the internal clashes.
Local sources reported that the marchers were fired at during the procession which inflamed a renewed gun battle.
Meanwhile, the Executive Force reported that Fateh gunmen fired at one of its outposts in Rafah, and that Executive Force members fired back, which later on expanded the clashes to several parts of the Gaza Strip.
Reporters of the Qatar based Al Jazeera TV reported thousands of protestors took off to the streets, demanded the dismantling of the Executive Force and the resignation of Interior Minister, Sa’id Siyam.
Hundreds of Fateh gunmen on one side, and members of the Executive Force on the other are currently deployed in several areas.
Al Jazeera added that gunmen abducted two Fateh leaders in Bani Soheila town, near Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, and took them to an unknown destination.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, dozens of residents protested against the internal clashes, demanded the formation of a national unity government and denounced the continuous violence and chaos.
Also in Ramallah, leaders of ten factions represented at the Palestinian Liberation Organization and factions represented at the Legislative Council met on Monday to discuss the means that will bring an end to the current internal violence.
Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, called for an immediate halt of all armed clashes adding, prior to a government meeting in Gaza, that the situation will improve soon.
Minister of Interior, Sa’id Siyam, stated that all participants in the internal violence would be prosecuted and that Israel is the only beneficiary of these events.
Meanwhile, Nabil Amro, the advisor of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said that the president will decide the needed measures to end the crisis.
Amro did not elaborate more on the “measures” or whether they include dismantling the government or calling for early elections.
“Abbas will not do anything that would harm the national unity”, Amro added.
