Civil war looms in Gaza
BEN LYNFIELD IN JERUSALEM
PALESTINIAN leaders on both sides of the Fatah/Hamas divide yesterday urgently called for ceasefire as all-out civil war appeared closer than ever with at least 20 people killed in the Gaza Strip yesterday.
An Israeli helicopter struck a Hamas military base in Gaza yesterday, killing four fighters from the Islamic movement, in response to rocket attacks on Tuesday and yesterday on the Israeli town of Sderot, wounding more than 20.
Sixteen Palestinians were killed yesterday in the deadliest day since factional fighting broke out in the Strip at the weekend.
Hamas gunmen killed six bodyguards of Fatah's security chief, Rashid Abu Shbak, during an attack on his home in Gaza City. He was not there at the time.
In another attack, Hamas set fire to an 11-storey building housing the Fatah MP Nema Sheik Ali, the wife of the head of Preventive Security Forces (PSF), which are loyal to Fatah.
Witnesses said the gunmen broke into her fifth-floor flat and beat up her and two of her children before setting the building alight. The militants prevented people from evacuating as women and children pleaded to be let out.
Hamas fighters also ambushed a vehicle that was carrying Hamas prisoners in Gaza City, mistakenly killing the five prisoners as well as two PSF troops, PSF officials said. Hamas responded that its loyalists had been "executed" by Fatah forces.
A total of 41 people have died since the fighting broke out on Sunday. The majority of the dead are Fatah fighters, many of them shot at bases in audacious surprise attacks by Hamas's Executive Force or by its militiamen.
Hamas and Fatah both called a ceasefire, but previous attempts have fallen apart within hours. "We will unilaterally implement a ceasefire from 8pm this evening," said Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman. A Palestinian official said that the president, Mahmoud Abbas, who leads Fatah, "gave orders to all security forces and Fatah men to cease fire immediately".
Fighters from both factions continued battling in the streets of Gaza after the deadline.
Hamas charged that Fatah and Israel were colluding against it, but Israeli officials denied any connection. However, the Israeli vice-premier, Shimon Peres, said yesterday: "We should help Mr Abbas to fight the terrorists. We will not intervene in the war, but if Mr Abbas will request specific help, we will supply [it]."
Reports from Gaza last night said that Israel had launched a second strike, against a car carrying Hamas militants.
There was speculation that Hamas's rocket fire was a deliberate attempt to draw Israel into the fighting with Fatah, but Reuven Paz, a leading Israeli analyst, said it could also be the initiative of local Hamas cells acting independently of the overall leadership amid the chaos that resulted from the factional fighting in the Gaza Strip.
ARMIES NUMBER THOUSANDS
IF AN all-out civil war starts between Fatah and Hamas, Fatah will have an advantage in numbers, but many analysts believe Hamas's Executive Force and armed wing are better equipped and organised.
Hamas can field its Executive Force of more than 6,000 and can also call on the Qassam Brigades, believed to have 15,000 members, which would make a total Hamas army of 21,000.
The elite presidential guard of Fatah's Mahmoud Abbas now numbers 4,200 to 5,000 men. The US recently approved about £20 million to "transform and strengthen" the presidential guard. The National Security Forces under presidential command may have up to 30,000 members. The General Intelligence Force is thought to have 5,000 members.
The Palestinian police and preventive security force numbers about 30,000. Technically controlled by the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, most are Fatah loyalists, giving Fatah potentially more than 60,000 fighters.
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