Palestinian Civil War Watch
Charles Johnson
Tue Jun 12, 2007 at 7:42 am PDT • Views: 238
They’re slaughtering each other with abandon in the Palestinian territories today, as Hamas seems to be trying to drive Fatah out of Gaza. And finally, the media are starting to face the fact: Deadly fighting drives Gaza closer to civil war.
GAZA CITY (AFP) - Hamas fighters armed with guns and rocket launchers besieged two Fatah security headquarters on Tuesday as deadly clashes threatened to topple the government and drive Gaza closer to civil war.
Gunmen from the radical Islamist movement ambushed two seats of the Fatah loyalist national security — the main Palestinian security force — in Gaza City and Jabaliya provoking clashes with those holed up inside.
Security officials and witnesses at the scene reported heavy fighting but were unable to give immediate reports of any casualties.
The attack came after mortar shells slammed into prime minister Ismail Haniya’s home and the seafront compound of president Mahmud Abbas in the latest bout of fighting that has killed 18 people in 24 hours.
The apparently no-holds barred conflict threatens the very foundations of a Hamas-Fatah coalition that took office less than three months ago in a bid to halt the feuding that has killed nearly 180 people since December.
And in the West Bank, Fatah thugs have kidnapped a Hamas deputy minister.
Threatening that shaky coalition even further.
Frank says: