Five Palestinians, including one woman, were killed due to the infighting
between Hamas and Fatah affiliated forces in the Gaza strip on Wednesday
evening.
Three officers from the Preventative Security forces, a Fatah affiliated force, were killed when they were shot at while at the entrance of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian security sources reported on Wednesday morning that a group of masked gunmen injured and kidnapped a Palestinian security officer in the city of Khan Younis. Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen opened fire on Mo'taz Al Tawil, 40, an officer working with the Palestinian Preventative Security Forces, while he was leaving a mosque in Khan Younis at dawn. He was shot and injured before he was forced into a vehicle that fled the scene.
Later on Wednesday evening the Preventative Security Forces reported that when they received information stating where Al Tawil was being held, a rescue team moved to the location. Upon arrival gunmen opened fire at the rescue teem and injured two officers.
A vehicle that belongs to the Preventative Security Forces moved the injured to the nearby Nasser hospital which was shot at by the Ministry of Interior Executive Force, a Hamas affiliated force, killing the three and injuring others. Islam Sahwan, a spokesperson for the executive force, denied these accusations by the Preventative Security Forces and said that the force had nothing to do with either the kidnapping or the killing of the three officers.
Mona Salha, 22, a bystander, was shot and killed during clashes in Khan Younis on Wednesday evening after sustaining a direct hit in the head. Another nine were injured, medical sources reported
According to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), the clashes started when officers from the executive force stopped the car of Mohamed Ghareb, a high ranking officer in the Palestinian Preventative Security Forces. Two of his body guards were kidnapped while Ghareb's car was set on fire. The source added that other members of the executive force who were guarding the house of Parliament member Ismael Al-Ashqar were also involved in the kidnapping. Clashes erupted later near the house of Col. Ghareb. One was killed and nine were injured, three from each group and three bystanders.
Elsewhere in the Gaza strip a group of unknown gunmen opened fire and killed a member of Al Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah movement, in Beit Lahiyia town in the northern part of the Strip on Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. Mou'awiah Hassanin, the director of the emergency department in the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that Ala Abu Al Nasser, 22, was admitted to the Kamal Adawan hospital in Beit Lahiyia where he was pronounced dead due to a fatal gunshot wound to his head. Eyewitnesses said that Al Nasser was on top of his friend's house when he was targeted by a group of masked gunmen who shot him and fled the scene.
With those five killed on Wednesday the number of Palestinians killed due to infighting between the two rival parties Hamas and Fatah have now reached to 11.
