GAZA CITY ø The Palestinian Authority has found itself in the
middle of a power struggle involving armed gunmen in the Gaza Strip.
Gangs composed of what are believed to be gunmen from the ruling Fatah
movement have been attacking a range of people associated with the PA. The
gangs have
assaulted police officials, journalists and legislators.
In the latest attack, four gunmen burst into the office of Palestinian
Legislative Council deputy speaker Ibrahim Abu Al Naja in Gaza City. The
gunmen attacked clerks, fired their guns and ransacked the office. Al Naja
was not in the office, Middle East Newsline reported.
"I was not there," Al Naja said hours after Thursday's attack.
"Nobody had really started to come into work at the office yet. There were
two clerks, and this group beat them and they fired gunshots at them and
they made a mess in the office, then left the place."
The gunmen have not been captured. But Palestinian sources said they
represent a growing power struggle within Fatah, particularly in the Gaza
Strip.
So far, no Palestinian has openly identified the attackers. Police have
not arrested anybody.
"I don't have any comment on this," Al Naja said. "But the investigation
will determine this because they are four wanted men. The police arrived,
investigated and listened to the two clerks, and saw the great mess that
this group made. It is understood that the police must take security
measures to ensure a serious punishment for this group."
Last week, Palestinian journalists held a vigil to protest repeated
attacks by masked gunmen on leading editors and journalists. The journalists
demanded protection from the PA and some of them said they were caught in
the middle of a power struggle between Fatah factions.
Over the weekend, the entire 11-member Fatah leadership of the northern
Gaza Strip submitted its resignation. The leadership said its resignation
was meant to protest the failure to hold new elections in the movement.
But Palestinian sources said the trigger to the latest resignations was
the appointment of a new leader of the Fatah branch in the northern Gaza
Strip. Earlier, 350 Fatah members from the West Bank and Gaza Strip signed a
letter
that announced their resignation.
