Israel Matzav

Palestinian Civil War Watch - On the Verge

The 'Palestinian Ministry of Health' has declared a state of emergency as a result of a 'shooting incident' last night in Khan Younis in which a 20-year old pregnant woman and three other people were shot dead, and several other people were wounded. The 'Health Ministry' and the Red Crescent emergency service have ordered their employees to equip themselves with bulletproof vests, for fear the infighting escalates even further. I wonder how the cash-strapped 'Palestinian Authority,' which is in a 'humanitarian crisis,' can afford bulletproof vests. Maybe they expect Israel to donate them?

The pregnant woman's brother-in-law was also killed in the fighting and another woman was injured, 'Palestinian' sources said.

Witnesses said gunmen terrorists, whose identity was unclear, shot at local Hamas leader Mohammad al-Ghalban as he was traveling in a car with family members after dark in the town of Khan Younis.

'Palestinian sources' in the Gaza Strip later reported that two Fatah members were shot to death after unidentified men terrorists opened fire toward a mourners' tent in the Shati refugee camp.

The mourners' tent was set up in the home of Khader Afana, an officer of the Fatah Preventative Security forces who was killed several days ago, also by unidentified gunmen terrorists.

According to reports from other news agencies, five people were killed overall during Sunday's deadly clashes.

Earlier on Sunday, during another armed clash between Fatah and Hamas terrorists, three gunmen terrorists were injured, one of them critically.

Before the deadly clashes, Fatah faction Chairman Azzam al-Ahmad announced that PA Chairman Abbas Abu Mazen is due to issue a 'presidential decree' on Tuesday, ordering the holding of a referendum in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. On the streets, activists terrorists on both sides await to see how this decision will influence the tension and violence that currently prevail. Abu Mazen wants to hold the referendum in the hope that it will lead to the faucet of international aid being turned back on, so that no one will question why Fatah, which has well over $1 billion in the bank, is doing nothing to solve the 'Palestinians' 'humanitarian crisis.'

In a bid to put a stop to the clashes, officials on both sides negotiated during the night regarding the possibility of holding a meeting between 'PA Prime Minister' Ismail Haniyeh and Abbas' Abu Mazen's 'special aide' Ravhi Fatuh. However, sources in the PA estimated that even if held, such a meeting would fail to resolve the deadlock between the fighting groups.

Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has announced its intention to mobilize 1,300 of its fighters terrorists across Gaza.

In an announcement, the Brigades said that the 'special force' would fight the penetrations of IDF infantry units into Gaza, so that the 'Palestinians' can continue shooting Kassams and other rockets at Israel, aid 'Palestinian security forces' and 'combat violence' in Gaza. No one believes that the 'special force' can stand up to Hamas' 'special force.'

'Palestinian sources' in Gaza believe that Fatah is attempting to send Hamas a message that it has no intention of abandoning the streets to Hamas. The deployment by Fatah of a new 2500-member militia in Jenin over the weekend raised the level of tension between the two warring terrorist groups.

Meanwhile, Abu Mazen's deadline for Haniyeh to accept the 'Prisoners' Document' or go to a referendum expires tonight. Haniyeh has declared the referendum 'illegal,' but says that he is willing to discuss it with Abu Mazen. On Sunday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri launched a scathing attack, accused Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen and his Fatah party of planning a "bloodless coup" to topple the Hamas government.

Fatah leaders stressed that Abu Mazen is determined to hold the referendum "at any price" and suggested that the countdown for the collapse of the Hamas government had begun.

Aziz Dweik, speaker of the Hamas-dominated 'Palestinian Legislative Council', accused Abu Mazen of trying to blackmail the 'Palestinians' through his planned referendum. On Saturday night, Dweik met with Abu Mazen in Ramallah and tried to persuade him to abandon the referendum idea, but to no avail.

"This referendum is aimed at blackmailing the Palestinians. It's telling the Palestinians that they either accept the document or face starvation. This is illegal and undemocratic."

Azzam al-Ahmed, a Fatah legislator and advisor to Abu Mazen, dismissed claims that the referendum was illegal, and called on the Hamas government to resign immediately. "If the government respects itself, it should resign before it is sacked," he told a news conference in Ramallah.

"Hamas does not have a right to veto the [prisoners'] document and we're not going to wait for their approval. Who do they think they are? They must remember that Palestine is greater than them and their movement. They don't want to reach any understandings or agreements over the referendum. They only want to issue statements and deliver speeches at the mosques."

Unless an agreement is reached, Abu Mazen plans to issue a "presidential decree" on Tuesday morning (tomorrow) calling for holding the referendum within 40 days. "President Abbas alone will decide about when to hold the referendum," al-Ahmed argued. "The prime minister's job is to help the president. This is what the law stipulates and it's time for Haniyeh to return to his senses."

It should be a fun day tomorrow. I wish both sides much success, as long as they leave the Jews of Israel (including those in Judea and Samaria) alone.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:39 AM