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Arab diplomats in Gaza cower as Fatah-Hamas violence escalates

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

GAZA CITY — Arab allies of the Palestinian Authority have sought refuge from the emerging civil war in the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian and Jordanian diplomats have avoided traveling in much of the Gaza Strip to avoid being a target in battles between Fatah and Hamas. As part of their war, both militias, supported by rival PA security agencies, have established roadblocks and ambushed each other's patrols.

"Most of the diplomats and military advisers of Egypt and Jordan have left the Gaza Strip or remain indoors," a diplomatic source said. "They have been under orders from their governments to do everything they can to avoid becoming a target."

On Monday, the assistant of Jordan's envoy in the Gaza Strip was killed in a gun battle between Hamas fighters and PA police officers aligned with Fatah. The shootout took place near the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza City, Middle East Newsline reported.

Eleven people were injured in the battle, the latest in the escalating violence between Fatah and Hamas. Jordan's ambassador Yehiya Qarallah was not in the car during the shootout, in which Hamas fighters launched a rocket-propelled grenade toward police.

Later, the Jordanian envoy went to a local hospital to help identify the body of his assistant, identified as 55-year-old Khaled Radaida, 55. Diplomatic sources said Radaida, who carried a diplomatic passport, was on his way to pick up Qarallah to an unidentified destination.

PA Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar called Qarallah and expressed his condolences, officials said. Zahar said the PA would investigate the killing. On Tuesday, Radaida's body was flown from Israel to Jordan for burial.

This was the first foreign casualty since Fatah and Hamas launched their war in mid-May. There is virtually no Western permanent diplomatic presence left in the Gaza Strip.

Egypt and Jordan have been assigned the task of helping train and equip the PA security forces. But the Hamas takeover of the PA and the subsequent Western boycott have hampered the effort.

Instead, Jordan has been training forces loyal to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who also leads Fatah, in the Hashemite kingdom. Jordanian advisers have also been monitoring training of Abbas loyalists in the West Bank.

Diplomats said Egypt has withdrawn most of its military delegation from the Gaza Strip. In February, a senior Egyptian military adviser was abducted by Fatah gunmen.

[On Tuesday, Israel's military Southern Command launched an exercise that envisioned an invasion of the Gaza Strip. Military sources said the exercise tested the interoperability of communications as well as the command and control of army, navy and air force units that would participate in any invasion.]

For his part, Abbas has raised the prospect that he could disband the Hamas-led government. He said he would continue to give Hamas a chance to govern.

"It is one of my rights as president to take this step," Abbas told the Al Quds daily on Monday. "But such a decision would not be justified unless Hamas gets a full opportunity [to rule]. If it fails, then we can talk about disbanding the government."


Copyright © 2006 East West Services, Inc.

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