At least 10 Palestinians were injured early Tuesday in renewed clashes between Hamas and Fatah in downtown Gaza City, witnesses and paramedics said. According to the AP, the clashes started after Hamas activists arrived at the home of a top Fatah official and opened fire at Fatah activists inside, witnesses said. The Fatah men returned fire and 10 were injured in the exchange, including five schoolchildren, hospital officials said. At least one of the wounded was a Hamas gunmen, officials said.
According to Hamas officials, bodyguards working for Samir Mashrawi, a top Fatah leader in Gaza, abducted three members of the Hamas military wing earlier in the morning and the Hamas gunmen had arrived on the scene to release them. Fatah officials denied the accusations.
Bystanders gathered to watch Tuesday's clashes in downtown Gaza City, as mosque loudspeakers encouraged them to flee the scene.
Earlier, a meeting between both factions called for restraint, but tensions remained high as the sides accused each other of instigating the violence.
Later in the afternoon, three people were injured in fire exchanges between Fatah and Hamas in Khan Younis City.
