Palestinian tensions in Gaza Strip increased as the ruling Hamas movement issued a warning to a leader of riavl Fatah faction. In a statement issued in Gaza Monday, Hamas accused Mohammed Dahlan, a Fatah MP and former security chief, of running a "putschist movement" aimed at bringing down the government "on the orders of his boss (US Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice."
"We place the responsibility for each drop of Palestinian blood spilled personally on Dahlan along with his putschist movement," Hamas said. "We firmly warn against any attempts on Hamas leaders, members of its armed wing or its executive force. Those who play with fire will be burned," it added.
On Sunday, Dahlan slammed Hamas during a mass rally in Gaza.
On Monday, a Hamas supporter's store was burnt and several others vandalized in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Unknown gunmen opened fire on Monday on the office of independent MP and former finance minister Salam Fayyad, without causing injuries or damage, witnesses said, according to AFP.
In the neighboring town of Al-Bireh, unknown gunmen tried unsuccessfully to abduct the Hamas mayor, Omar Hamayel, sources said.
Meanwhile in the northern city of Nablus, Hamas deputy mayor Mehdi al-Hambali was freed Monday two days after he was himself kidnapped by unknown gunmen, security sources said.
It should be mentioned that Sa'eed Siyam, the Palestinian interior minister, has urged an Egyptian security delegation residing in the Gaza Strip to step in and stop the security deterioration in the West Bank, warning of total security collapse in the PA-run lands. Siyam asked Burhan Hammad, the chief Egyptian security delegate, in a telephone conversation Sunday night to convince PA president Mahmoud Abbas to order Fatah to halt the "systematic security escalation" in the West Bank.
