RAMALLAH — Despite a national unity accord, the Fatah-Hamas militia
war has expanded.
Palestinian sources said Fatah and Hamas were continuing attacks in the
Palestinian Authority. The sources said the violence has spread from the
Gaza Strip to the West Bank.
On Saturday, Finance Minister Samir Abu Aisha was targeted by suspected
Fatah operatives, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said the home of the Hamas minister was
attacked by gunmen west of the West Bank city of Nablus.
Several of the bullets penetrated Abu Aisha's bedroom. Nobody was hurt.
"The goal of the shooting is to obstruct and frustrate the Mecca deal,"
PA spokesman Ghazi Hamad said in reference to the national unity accord. "It
is a criminal act and intends to return tension and disorder in the
Palestinian arena as well as resume the internal battles."
Nablus Mayor Adli Yaeesh condemned the attack, said to have been the
latest development in the Fatah-Hamas war for control of the West Bank city.
The Hamas-aligned mayor called on Palestinian factions to protect society
from what he termed law-breakers.
The sources said this was the first time a Hamas minister has been
targeted since the national unity accord was reached in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
on Feb. 8. Since then, several Fatah and Hamas targets have been struck in
the Gaza Strip.
On Feb. 15, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh submitted the resignation of
his government. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, preparing to meet visiting U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday, gave Haniyeh five weeks to
form a new Cabinet.
For its part, Abbas's Fatah movement has intensified missile fire from
the Gaza Strip into Israel. On Feb. 16, Fatah's military wing claimed
responsibility for firing four missiles into Israel. Nobody was reported
injured.
