பாலஸ்தீனத்தில் ஹமாஸ் - படா சண்டையில் ஒருவர் பலி 12 பேர் படுகாயம்

பாலஸ்தீனத்தில் ஹமாஸ் குழுவினரும் படா குழுவினரும் ஒருவரை ஒருவர் தாக்கிக்கொள்ள ஆரம்பித்திருக்கின்றனர். இருவருமே ஆயுதம் தாங்கிய ராணுவ கட்சியினர். ஆகவே விளைவும் தீவிரமாகவே இருக்கிறது.

பாலஸ்தீனத்தில் ஹமாஸ் குழுவினரும் படா குழுவினரும் மோதிக்கொண்டதில் ஒருவர் கொல்லப்பட்டார். 12 பேர் படுகாயமடைந்தார்கள்.

Rival Palestinian factions clash in Gaza

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA, June 7 (Reuters) - Rival Hamas and Fatah forces clashed in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least one person and injuring 12 others, in the worst flare-up of factional fighting in almost three weeks.

The fighting spread across the southern Gaza town of Rafah as Hamas and Fatah gunmen set up checkpoints and took up positions on rooftops, two days after President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah said Palestinians were standing on the brink of civil war.

Israel is considering a new request from secular Fatah to allow shipments of arms and ammunition into Gaza from Egypt and other Arab states, Israeli and Western security sources said. Palestinian officials had no immediate comment.

Abbas called off a summit planned for Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, seeking commitments Israel will release frozen Palestinian funds and take other steps.

Western diplomats said Olmert and Abbas could resume bilateral talks as early as next week or later this month when they are expected to attend a meeting of the Quartet of Middle East mediators in Egypt. Olmert's office said the prime minister has yet to receive an invitation to the Quartet meeting.

Fatah said Thursday's clash in Rafah erupted when gunmen from the Islamist Hamas group confronted one of its local leaders at his home. The man's brother was killed.

At least 12 other Palestinians were wounded, including at least six from Fatah, four from Hamas and two bystanders, as the fighting spread, Palestinian hospital officials said.

Hamas said its men opened fire after being shot at by Fatah gunmen.

Thursday's death was the first since an Egyptian-brokered truce took hold in mid-May after the latest wave of factional fighting killed some 50 Palestinians.

An estimated 616 Palestinians have been killed in factional fighting since Hamas defeated Fatah in elections in January 2006, a leading Palestinian rights group said in a report on Wednesday.

Israel has allowed Abbas's forces to bring in arms, ammunition and reinforcements from Egypt and other Arab states over the last year.

The Bush administration has asked Israel to permit transfers to bolster Abbas's forces as a counterweight to Hamas's dominance in the Gaza Strip.

Some Israeli officials say they fear the weapons will end up in the hands of Hamas and Fatah militants behind attacks on Israel. But Olmert has generally been supportive of the U.S.-coordinated effort.

U.S. and Israeli security officials say Hamas's Executive Force and armed wing receive money, weapons and training from Iran and other Islamist allies.

Washington has backed Abbas's elite Presidential Guard, which graduated another 500 recruits on Thursday.

Israel stepped up its military operations in Gaza last month in response to a surge in cross-border rocket attacks against Israeli towns.

An Israeli army spokesman said at least three rockets were fired into Israel on Thursday but caused no injuries.

(Additional reporting by Adam Entous and Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Mohammed Assadi in Ramallah)