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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas, Fatah infighting mars Palestinian 'day of wrath' |
| 2009-01-09 |
| We expected anything else? Solidarity rallies with the war-battered Gaza Strip led to scuffles between dueling Palestinian factions on Friday, reflecting competing efforts to assert legitimacy over the fractured Palestinian political scene. Police loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stood by while protesters allied with his Fatah Party struck demonstrators from the rival Hamas with flag sticks. According to news agency AFP, the clashes erupted after the Hamas rulers of Gaza had called for a second week in a row for Palestinians to mark a "day of wrath" against the Israeli bombardments. Fist fights erupted and security forces used teargas and batons to disperse the demonstrators who had taken part in rival protests. Thirteen people were taken to hospital and several others were detained, witnesses said. Police spokesman Adnan Dameiri said no one was detained, but that some protesters were removed from the scene. West Bank police have suppressed Hamas rallies in recent weeks, preventing supporters from waving their flags and marching through city centers. Simmering tensions between Hamas and the Fatah party burst into all-out street warfare in June 2007, when the Islamists seized the Gaza Strip and ousted forces loyal to the Western-backed president, who now only holds sway in the West Bank. Looks like that "Palestinian Unity™" thing still needs some work... |
| Posted by:tu3031 |