Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., June 12, 2007 Sivan 26, 5767 | | Israel Time: 01:03 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Print Edition
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National Arts & Leisure Anglo File Sports Travel  
Magazine Week's End
Q&A
Business Underground Jewish World Real Estate Advertising  
Bookmark to del.icio.us
A Palestinian boy taking cover while gunmen shoot at Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's office in Gaza City on Monday. (Reuters)
Last update - 11:08 12/06/2007
At least 11 die in bloody day of Hamas-Fatah clashes in Gaza
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies

At least 11 Palestinians were confirmed dead Monday in clashes between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and more than 40 were wounded, hours after an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire was implemented. The clashes occured mostly near the the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and hospital in Beit Hanun.

Despite a Fatah announcement of a unilateral cease-fire, Naim al-Dahdouh, a senior member of the Hamas military wing, was killed late Monday and the exchanges of fire continued.

Earlier, a senior Fatah figure, Jamal Abu-Jedian, was assassinated by Hamas gunmen near his Gaza home. Abu-Jedian was a close associate of Mohammed Dahlan, a Fatah strongman and security adviser to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Advertisement

Palestinian sources said Abu-Jedian had been executed outside his home. Medics said he was hit by 45 bullets.

Al-Jedian was the Secretary General of the Fatah movement in the northern Gaza Strip and a co-founder of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade. He was also a close associate of Mohammed Dahlan, a Fatah strongman and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' security adviser. In the past, Abu-Jedian had been the target of several Hamas assassination attempts.

During the battles around Abu-Jedian's house, Hamas member Mohammed Muhajez was also killed.

Palestinian sources said Al-Jedian had been executed outside his home. Medics said 45 bullets had been used in his assassination.

Fatah spokesman Maher Mikdad harshly denounced the killing. "What is this, if not a war," he said, pledging revenge. In a message, Fatah called on its members to target all Hamas political and military leaders.

Two others were killed in battles late Monday in northern Gaza, Palestinian security and hospital officials said.

Later, Hamas said one of its men, who was kidnapped earlier, was found dead in a Gaza street.

Earlier Monday, Hamas gunmen killed Fatah intelligence officer Yasser Bakar, and his 16-year old brother. The incident prompted members of his family to launch a revenge shooting spree. Two members of Hamas, barricaded inside Gaza's biggest hospital, Shifa, were killed during the melee.

Hospital officials reported that Bakar gunmen began firing mortars and rocket-propelled grenades at Shifa Hospital, drawing Hamas fire from inside the building. During the Shifa fighting, top Hamas militant Mazen Ajur was killed. Another member of the Bakar clan was also killed.

In separate fighting at a hospital in Beit Hanun, three people were killed and at least 10 were wounded. The dead were identified as Id al-Masri and his two sons, Farej and Ibrahim, of the al-Masri clan, which has ties to the Fatah movement.

Mohammed Odeh, a volunteer for the Red Crescent rescue service, said one of the dead had been shot at close range. Hospital officials reported that the three victims were at the hospital being treated for injuries.

In another incident in Beit Lahia, Hamas member Bassel al-Caparna was also killed.

Hospital authorities announced that they were suspending their work in view of the clashes inside the hospital.

The clashes had reignited after the cease-fire had been put in place with a gun battle outside the parliament building in Gaza City, while the Palestinian cabinet was meeting.

The cease-fire was implemented after gunmen carried out a pre-dawn attack Monday on Haniyeh's home, also targeting the offices of the Hamas-run Culture Ministry. Culture Minister Bassem Naim was inside the building at the time at the attack, said his sister Huda. There were no injuries, she said, accusing Fatah of trying to kill her brother.

Bookmark to del.icio.us
Economic synergy
Arkadi Gaydamak sees potential beyond Tiv Taam's annual sales of NIS 1.5 billion.
Jumping ship
The exodus of Hapoel T.A. players continues as Elyaniv Barda considers Cyprus.
  1.   Palestinians on the road to self destruction 11:39  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/06/07
  2.   Oops! 11:52  |  H50 11/06/07
  3.   THEY ARE GETTING "CIVILIZED", THROWING 11:57  |  Robert 11/06/07
  4.   # 2 H50 12:06  |  ChanahS 11/06/07
  5.   Keep it up Fatah and Hamas 12:40  |  Ron Erez 11/06/07
  6.   And another thing... 12:48  |  Ron Erez 11/06/07
  7.   #2 H50 12:56  |  Even Steven 11/06/07
  8.   #2 H50 - clarification 13:46  |  Even Steven 11/06/07
  9.   Palestinian Scientific Breakthrough 13:49  |  Yitzchak Newton 11/06/07
  10.   I have no doubt that this civil war can be traced back 13:51  |  lakshmi 11/06/07
  11.   truce 13:54  |  colin 11/06/07
  12.   Egypt 14:24  |  Uri 11/06/07
  13.   To Yitzchak Newton: You are wrong 14:40  |  Moshe 11/06/07
  14.   This is how they solve disputes - by killing the oponent - and 14:45  |  Anat 11/06/07
  15.   #1 Palestinians On The Road To Self Destruction 14:48  |  Bill Foonman 11/06/07
  16.   Palestinians leaving Gaza 14:57  |  ChanahS 11/06/07
  17.   Bill Foonman 14:59  |  ChanahS 11/06/07
  18.   HAMAS CULTURE MINISTRY??? 15:02  |  Ian 11/06/07
  19.   honest reporting please 15:05  |  Bobo 11/06/07
  20.   Pal self destruction ??? 15:05  |  leon 11/06/07
  21.   # 1 and #15 Pal destruction and the West 15:35  |  Lynn 11/06/07
  22.   # 20 Israel and tax monies. 15:37  |  Lynn 11/06/07
  23.   lakshmi - Did you say civil war?? 15:40  |  infidel 11/06/07
  24.   CULTURE MINISTRY ATTACKED? BAD JOKE 15:46  |  HAL TRIPP 11/06/07
  25.   iran is behind it all 15:48  |  don 11/06/07
  26.   IDRAJAYAH . Where are you now? 16:03  |  Golani 11/06/07
  27.   Palestinians need TWO (2) states. 16:11  |  S 11/06/07
  28.   Suggestion for Israel: 16:12  |  Even Steven 11/06/07
  29.   To Moshe & Yitzhak Newton #9, #13 16:18  |  Daniel King 11/06/07
  30.   whistling past the graveyard, lakshmi 16:22  |  Polybios 11/06/07
  31.   Cipora J Kohn and Yitzchak Newton 16:26  |  Nechama 11/06/07
  32.   23Infidel, this is an attack on the ministry building where a 16:29  |  lakshmi 11/06/07
  33.   leon, Grand Rapids 16:29  |  Nechama 11/06/07
  34.   It doesn`t hurt!!!!!! 16:38  |  manny.b 11/06/07
  35.   27Polybios,convenient omission of history,the Arabs have been 17:01  |  lakshmi 11/06/07
  36.   Of course, lakshmi 17:03  |  Rory 11/06/07
  37.   lakshmi @ # 10 17:14  |  akiva P 11/06/07
  38.   Lakshmi`s Use of Demonization 17:20  |  Tex 11/06/07
  39.   #24 Quit makin fun of Death Cult Culture Ministry!!! 17:26  |  Dr. Dave 11/06/07
  40.   And where are the USUAL Talkback Jew/Israel hate TROLLS 17:30  |  Dr. Dave 11/06/07
  41.   Palestinian democracy in action 17:44  |  S 11/06/07
  42.   Speaking of omissions, lakshmi... 17:51  |  Polybios 11/06/07
  43.   Daniel King # 26 Cost-Effective Executions 17:54  |  Jeff Northridge 11/06/07
  44.   manny.b of Southend on Sea 17:54  |  akiva P 11/06/07
  45.   Lakshmi # 33 18:01  |  ChanahS 11/06/07
  46.   34,35,36,Rory,Akiva and Tex,but ofcourse 18:02  |  lakshmi 11/06/07
  47.   stop immediately this waste of peace activists! 18:27  |  Leon Rosgarten 11/06/07
  48.   2 H-50 Palestinian Children 18:28  |  * BEN JABO 11/06/07
  49.   Pals should look @ Turkey 18:37  |  Brian 11/06/07
  50.   Palistinian Civil War 18:38  |  A.J. 11/06/07
  51.   Thrown to their deaths 18:52  |  Gina 11/06/07
  52.   Sal Si Puedes (Get Out If You Can) 18:52  |  Jeff Northridge 11/06/07
  53.   lakshmi - invited to read your own Koran #33 18:59  |  William 11/06/07
  54.   Civil war - #10, Lakshmi 19:03  |  William 11/06/07
  55.   Who Is to blabe? 19:04  |  Clickfan 11/06/07
  56.   Warning: Palestinians "militants" form new airborne force 19:09  |  Chuck L 11/06/07
  57.   Lakshmi: Demonizing Israel Through Calls of "Brutality" 19:13  |  Tex 11/06/07
  58.   No laughing matter 19:14  |  Jeremy 11/06/07
  59.   H-50 How can we believe ANYTHING you say? 19:17  |  * BEN JABO 11/06/07
  60.   # 43 leon the nutter 19:21  |  james 11/06/07
  61.   Send NATO troops to Gaza and the West Bank 19:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/06/07
  62.   Notice that Khalid Amayreh is silent on this 19:24  |  Dan Susser 11/06/07
  63.   #30 Lakshmi 19:30  |  * BEN JABO 11/06/07
  64.   Memories of ancient Jerusalem 19:31  |  Tosefta 11/06/07
  65.   it will end.. 19:31  |  MD 11/06/07
  66.   49&50 William,correction,there is plenty of blame to go around in 19:39  |  lakshmi 11/06/07
  67.   All Muslims Love One Another... 19:40  |  Ben Israel 11/06/07
  68.   #1 Cipora, I was wrong about you 19:44  |  T A Sheppard 11/06/07
  69.   51Clickfan,good question,why after a fair and free election, 19:51  |  lakshmi 11/06/07
  70.   Psychopaths, Nothing Less: Hospital War Bunkers 19:56  |  Brad 11/06/07
  71.   What no comments about the hospitals? 20:06  |  Gee 11/06/07
  72.   Clickfan # 51 Blame 20:08  |  Jeff Northridge 11/06/07
  73.   # 48 Jeff Northridge. Sal Si Puedes,etc.VIDERE EST CREDERE!! 20:10  |  KATH` 11/06/07
  74.   The infighting. 20:16  |  David Nigel Braham 11/06/07
  75.   A point to ponder 20:17  |  Baz Mann 11/06/07
  76.   # 53 Tosefta. Memories of ancient Jerusalem.ON AND ON.. 20:18  |  Kath` 11/06/07
  77.   Palestinians... The sad truth 20:24  |  Lebanese 11/06/07
  78.   Jeff Northridge 20:30  |  Ron 11/06/07
  79.   Palestinians from the rooftops 20:31  |  DesertEagle50 11/06/07
  80.   Restore EU funding immediately 20:37  |  Mohammad Ali 11/06/07
  81.   Depression 20:41  |  Gerald 11/06/07
  82.   56 - Where is your evidence? 20:48  |  Bruriah Sarah 11/06/07
  83.   Withdrawl 20:49  |  BRL 11/06/07
  84.   60 - PA has received Billions in aid 20:51  |  Bruriah Sarah 11/06/07