Three killed in Gaza violence

24/02/2007| IslamWeb

Three Palestinians have been killed in clashes between rival clans in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.
 
The violence began when Mohammed al-Galban, a member of the Hamas movement, was shot and killed in a family feud early on Saturday.
 
A Palestinian from a rival clan, Hazem Karouah, was killed in a gun battle several hours later, as was another man who was caught in the cross-fire.
 
Both families said the fighting, in which at least 10 people were wounded, was an internal dispute and was not motivated by political rivalries.
 
Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's Gaza correspondent, said the killing of the Hamas member is unlikely to signal a return to violence between Hamas and Fatah.
 
"This was a revenge attack for the killing of a Palestinian from a rival Gaza clan some months ago."
 
"This a tribal society and part of the Mecca agreement is the formation of national committee to resolve the recent killings by rival factions. This process hasn't got started yet."
 
Hamas statement
 
Earlier this month Fatah and Hamas agreed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to forge a Palestinian national unity government. 
 

Palestinians hope the coalition deal will end violence between Hamas and Fatah in which more than 90 people died.
 
The Hamas-led interim Palestinian government issued a statement denouncing the violence, calling it a violation of the Mecca agreement, the AFP news agency reported.
 
"The Palestinian government denounces the attempts by some to violate the Mecca agreement and return the region to the spiral of violence and bloodshed," the statement said.
 
Clan rivalries have grown increasingly common and deadly in the Gaza Strip since security and other public services broke down due to the deadlock between the two factions.

Photo caption

Gaza map