Gaza ceasefire collapses into violence

Hamas fighters attacked a pro-Fatah radio station in Gaza, ambulances were caught in the crossfire and gunmen exchanged machine gun fire in deserted streets as factional battles refused to let up today.

Overnight, gunmen from the rival factions used mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy calibre machine guns as they battled in the streets of Gaza.

Dr Muawiya Hassanin of the Palestinian Health Ministry said this morning that 95 people had been wounded since yesterday afternoon.

Ambulances and rescue teams were caught in the crossfire all over Gaza, he said.

Hamas gunmen were surrounding the Fatah-affiliated Voice of Labour radio station in the town of Jebaliya this morning, firing rockets and automatic weapons, according to Rizek Baiyri, the station’s director. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Six people were killed yesterday after a brief cease-fire collapsed. Violence between Fatah and Hamas has claimed nearly 70 lives since erupting in early December.

Last night, hundreds of Fatah gunmen stormed a Hamas stronghold, the Islamic University in Gaza City. Flames were seen leaping from two of the university buildings.

A security official affiliated with Fatah said seven Iranian citizens were arrested at the university, and an eighth committed suicide.

Hamas official Islam Shahwan denied the claim and said there were no Iranian citizens at the university and warned Fatah to end its assault or there would be “very serious consequences".

Iran has supplied Hamas with funds, but there have been no previous claims of Iranians working with Hamas in Gaza.

Yesterday, an Egyptian mediator blamed Hamas and called for calm.

The renewed outbreak came just three days after the Egyptian mediators persuaded the warring factions to end weeks of clashes that killed dozens.

However, the truce did not resolve underlying disputes that set off the conflict between the Islamic Hamas, which is running the Palestinian government, and Fatah of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas.

Both sides appeared willing to avoid a full-scale civil war, but they were just as adamant over keeping their own security forces on the streets – a recipe for more clashes.

Also, the renewed violence further distanced talks between the two sides over a joint government that might end punishing Western foreign aid sanctions.

An incident in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza yesterday set off clashes all over the impoverished seaside territory.

Hamas gunmen ambushed an official convoy guarded by the Fatah presidential guard and hijacked two trucks filled with tents, medical kits and toilets, security officials said.

The United States and some Arab countries had pledged to give equipment and training to the security forces loyal to Abbas.

Col Burhan Hamad, the head of the Egyptian security team in Gaza that negotiated the truce, denounced the attack on the convoy as “unjustified” and angrily blamed Hamas. He appealed to the warring factions to stop the new clashes.

The violent Islamic Jihad, in the role of peacemaker, called for convening an urgent meeting to discuss resumption of the truce.

The mufti of Gaza called for a truce, saying Muslims shedding Muslim blood is “taboo".