Hamas, Fatah gunmen battle over election results
This does my heart good. Now we have slimy pali terrorist shooting at other slimy pali terrorist. These people can't get along with anyone.
GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas and Fatah gunmen exchanged fire on Friday amid political turmoil as the long-dominant Fatah faction was threatened with a violent backlash from within after its crushing election defeat by the Islamic militant group.
Hamas, whose shock parliamentary election victory changed the face of Palestinian politics and plunged Middle East peacemaking deeper in limbo, said it would hold talks soon with President Mahmoud Abbas on a "political partnership." But Fatah leaders have rejected a coalition with Hamas.
The United States said it will review funding to the aid-dependent Palestinians if Hamas enters government and Israel suggested it could suspend customs revenue transfers, adding economic uncertainty to the political upheaval.
Some 20,000 Fatah supporters took to the streets in angry protests across the Gaza Strip, burning cars outside the Palestinian parliament building and firing rifles in the air. Some Hamas posters were ripped down by the crowd, which burned tires in the streets.
Acknowledging Hamas's new standing as a political powerhouse, Abbas told reporters: "We are consulting and in contact with all the Palestinian groups and definitely, at the appropriate time, the biggest party will form the cabinet."
The militant al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Fatah, issued a statement threatening to "liquidate" the faction's leaders if they changed their minds and joined a Hamas-led administration.
At separate rallies, thousands of Hamas backers celebrated their surprise victory.
While Fatah leaders have called for a peaceful transition of power, bad blood runs deep between the secular and Islamist rivals. Many Hamas gunmen still harbor resentment over crackdowns by Palestinian security forces amid peace overtures by Abbas to Israel, which has sought a clampdown on armed groups.
In the first armed clash between Hamas and Fatah militants since Wednesday's vote, three people were wounded in a gun battle near the southern city of Khan Younis.
In later flare ups there, Hamas gunmen and Palestinian security forces exchanged fire in Khan Younis, wounding a Hamas gunmen and two security officers.
Security sources said a further two policemen were wounded when masked gunmen, wearing trademark green Hamas headbands, fired at a patrol car, underscoring the difficulties ahead.
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2 Comments:
Maybe they will go ahead and kill each other - could save the US and Israel a lot of time, money, and effort.
Wouldn't it though? A lot of time and money. If enough of them killed each other, it might even save lives in Israel.
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