Five Palestinian residents of Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip were killed Saturday, and at least 15 others were wounded during renewed internal unrest, after two families clashed.
The clashes broke out shortly after midnight between the Kawarah and al-Ghalban families when Mohammad Alghalban, a 28-year-old Hamas militant, was killed in a drive-by shooting outside his home.
A 22-year-old man from a Fatah family, Hazem Karouah, was killed several hours later, as was 75-year-old Ismail Sabah, who was caught in the cross-fire.
Palestinian security forces contacted conflicting parties in a bid to end such infighting, calling on Hamas movement and other parties to intervene for this purpose. Security officer, Omar Qannan, of the Palestinian national security forces, asserted in a statement that his forces are ready to intervene to avoid further escalation.
This weekend's violence is the most severe to hit the Strip since the signing of the Mecca agreement two weeks ago, establishing a unity government composed of Fatah and Hamas.
At least 130 people have died in Hamas-Fatah fighting over the past three months, before the two sides agreed to a power-sharing cabinet earlier this month. The deal is widely seen in Palestinian territories as the only way to avert a civil war.
