Palestinian medical sources in Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, reported on Sunday at dawn that one Hamas fighter was killed and another was injured after unknown gunmen opened fire at their vehicle.The sources identified the slain Hamas member as Mohammad Hussein Al Kafarna, 27. He was shot near Beit Hanoun Sport Club in the center of Beit Hanoun.
The other Hamas member who accompanied Al Kafarna was seriously injured; he was identified as Abdul-Rahman Abu Odeh. Both are members of the Al Qasam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
The shots were fired from a speeding vehicle driven by gunmen. The body of the slain Al Kafarna, and the injured Abu Odeh were transferred to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Following the attack, dozens of Hamas gunmen took to the streets of Beit Hanoun, and chased the vehicle of the assailants.
Palestinian security sources believe that the assailants are hiding in one of the houses in Beit Hanoun as armed clashes erupted around that house.
In a separate incident, Hamas sources reported that gunmen opened fire at the house of Fayza Al Za’aneen, member of the City Council in Beit Hanoun from the Hamas bloc; no injuries were reported.
Also, Abu Obeida, media spokesperson of the Al Qassam Brigades, said on Saturday at night that gunmen opened fire at Hamas fighters training in an area in Beit Hanoun.
The recent attacks took place as the Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, said on Saturday that the unity government will be officially announced on Wednesday or Thursday.
Meanwhile, Tawfiq Abu Khousa, media spokesperson of Fateh movement, accused Hamas gunmen of shelling houses, Palestinian Security Headquarters and two security vehicles in Beit Hanoun.
Abu Khousa also said that two Fateh gunmen were injured after Hamas gunmen opened fire at them in Beit Hanoun.
Abu Khousa accused the Executive Force, formed by Hamas, of escalating the situation in the Gaza Strip “by carrying out a series of attacks in Beit Hanoun”.
He also denied reports which stated that Fateh gunmen opened fire at fighters of the Al Qassam brigades.
Abu Khousa warned that these attacks will escalate the situation and bring to the area bloody internal clashes such as those that took place in the Gaza Strip for a long period before the Mecca unity deal was reached.
