GAZA CITY Ñ Fighting has broken out between Palestinian Authority forces and Hamas
insurgents in the Gaza Strip after an assassination attempt on a senior Palestinian official.
PA forces stormed Hamas strongholds and in the ensuing gunfight at least
five Hamas members were killed and 30 injured. The operation came in wake of
an assassination of a senior PA officer by Hamas gunmen. Hamas denied being
involved in the assassination.
A PA statement said a Hamas force of 20 agents, dressed in police
uniforms, abducted and killed Col. Rajah Abu Yehya, 55. Abu Yehya was
identified as head of the PA riot police who led operations against Hamas
and its supporters.
It was the first clash between the two organizations in more than a year, Middle East Newsline reported.
The statement said Palestinians threw stones at PA police who sought to
arrest Hamas agents after the assassination on Monday. Thousands of Hamas
supporters later surrounded and torched a police station in Gaza City.
Two of the Hamas members were killed in a shootout in Gaza City. The
others were killed in the Nusseirat camp during a PA police operation to
capture suspects. The police force withdrew under Hamas fire.
A PA security source said the assassination of Abu Yehya was headed by
Imad Aql, the brother of a Hamas agent killed by police during
demonstrations in support of Osama Bin Laden in September 2001. Three Hamas
members were killed during the pro-Bin Laden protests in the Gaza Strip
refugee camp of Jabalya more than a year ago.
PA National Security Adviser Mohammed Dahlan warned Hamas to hand over
the suspects in the assassination of Abu Yehya. Dahlan's call was echoed by
the ruling Fatah movement loyal to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat.
"Fatah will not permit anybody to weaken the internal front and will hit
with an iron first those who look to launch an internal fight in the
Palestinian street," Fatah said in a statement.
On Monday, 14 Palestinians were killed and 70 were injured during an
Israeli military raid of the Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis. Hamas, which was
the target of the Israeli operation, has called for attacks on Israelis and
their supporters.
On Tuesday, Hamas gunners fired Kassam-class short-range missiles at
Israeli communities in the Gaza Strip. Nobody was injured. Outside the West
Bank city of Hebron, an Israeli national was shot and killed in a
Palestinian ambush.