Hamas kills 7 in Gaza border clash By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer
16 minutes ago
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas gunmen attacked rival Fatah forces at a key crossing along the Israeli border, killing seven people and drawing fire from nearby Israeli troops, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. The incident threatened to drag Israel into the current round of Palestinian factional fighting.
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The battle at the Karni border crossing was the deadliest so far in three days of fighting between Fatah and Hamas. At least 17 people have died so far, bringing life in Gaza to a standstill and pushing the fragile Palestinian unity government closer to collapse.
The Karni fighting erupted when Hamas gunmen approached a training base used by Fatah forces that guard the crossing.
The Hamas force attacked the base with rockets, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, said Ahmed al-Kaisi, spokesman for the pro-Fatah Presidential Guard, which guards the crossing under an agreement with Israel.
Security officials said seven men were killed in a Hamas ambush as they headed toward Karni to help their comrades. After the ambush, several bodies were seen strewn in the grass near an overturned security vehicle, as gunmen in pickup trucks nearby held machine guns in the air.
The base had been set up in part by an American security team to train Palestinians on how to check cargo and baggage at crossings and the recruits there are largely unarmed, al-Kaisi said. "We consider this a serious provocation and a crime committed in cold blood," al-Kaisi said.
At one point, Israeli troops opened fire at a group of gunmen who approached the border about half a mile from the battle, the army said. Palestinian officials said one man was killed, though his identity wasn't immediately known.
Witnesses also said three Israeli tanks approached Karni, and the Hamas force quickly withdrew. Israel also closed the crossing, known as Gaza's lifeline because it is the passage for cargo going in and out of the area.
Israel has remained silent throughout the latest Palestinian infighting. But the border incident illustrated how fragile the situation is. Israel has been debating whether to take large-scale military action in Gaza in response to repeated rocket fire aimed at southern Israel, but this week officials postponed a decision on whether to act.
Despite a new cease-fire deal late Monday, Palestinians awoke to the sound of gunfire throughout Gaza. Gunmen exchanged heavy gunfire at a security compound in Gaza City and a nearby junction was empty even at rush hour except for a few cars hurriedly abandoned by passengers.
One Hamas man was killed in a shootout early Tuesday in Gaza City, security officials said. In many places the violence centered around roadblocks set up by the Fatah-affiliated Palestinian security and began when cars containing Hamas gunmen were stopped.
The fighting came as the Palestinians marked the anniversary of the "Nakba," the word they use to describe Israel's establishment 59 years ago.
In a speech, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh made little mention of the infighting, urging the Palestinians "to work together in order to protect our national unity government and make it succeed." Instead, he focused on the conflict with Israel.
"Our determination cannot be broken," Haniyeh said. "We have said that we are going to give the politics a chance, but we are not going to drop our weapons until the occupation evacuates our land and justice and security and peace prevail."
Hamas and Fatah formed their unity government in March with the aim of ending months of deadly infighting. While the agreement has reduced tensions, it has done little to halt a wave of kidnappings, carjackings, robberies and lawlessness gripping the Gaza Strip.
The political rivals began fighting again over the weekend after President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah deployed thousands of pro-Fatah forces to try to restore law and order in Gaza. Hamas, which has its own militia, was angry that it was not consulted.
Monday's resignation of a frustrated top security official added to the tensions. The appointment of Interior Minister Hani Kawasmeh, an independent, had been a keystone of the unity agreement. Kawasmeh accused Hamas and Fatah of undermining his efforts to halt the violence.
The fighting has closed universities, and many worried parents have kept their children away from school. Many residents say the latest violence is more ominous than the previous round, saying it signaled the failure of the power-sharing deal between Hamas and Fatah.
"Now they are starting from where they left off," said Jamal Abu Shabaan, 21, who witnessed a gunbattle outside his furniture store Sunday. "If they get to each others' throats, they won't let go this time."
At the center of the new Palestinian fighting is a dispute over who controls the security forces. A majority of the 80,000 security officers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah leader, while Hamas set up its own 6,000-strong militia last year.
In forming their coalition, Hamas and Fatah put off dealing with the explosive problem of security control.
Despite the renewed strains, Abbas was unlikely to dissolve the coalition soon because it would be difficult to hold new elections in the violent climate in the Palestinian territories. Hamas would certainly object to a new ballot after winning a four-year term in last year's vote.
