Three Palestinians died and at least 18 wounded as fighting between Hamas and Fatah continued for a second day in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Monday.
Since Sunday, 12 Palestinians have been killed and more than 120 wounded in exchanges of fire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Two persons died Monday night in clashes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, and 15 others were wounded.
Another Palestinian died after he succumbed to his injuries in Jericho, in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, in a clear escalation of rhetoric, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of the Fatah faction, threatened early Tuesday morning to kill Hamas leaders, including Damascus-based political chief Khaled Mesha'al. In a statement sent to Reuters, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said it held Mesha'al, Palestinian Interior Minister Saeed Siyam and senior Interior Ministry official Youssef al-Zahar (the brother of the Palestinian FM) responsible for the deaths.
"We in Al-Aqsa announce, with all might and frankness, the ruling of the people in the homeland and in the diaspora, to execute the head of the sedition, Khaled Mesha'al, Saeed Siyam and Youssef al-Zahar, and we will execute this ruling so those filthy people can be made an example," the statement read.
Hamas legislator Mushir al-Masri said Al-Aqsa was "pouring oil on the fire" between the rival groups. According to him, Hamas would "not show mercy" if any of its leaders were targeted by what he called "the leaders of the internal coup".
The clashes began after Interior Minister Saeed Siyam, a prominent Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, ordered Hamas security forces to disperse Fatah-affiliated security forces that were protesting in the Gaza Strip. Hamas forces returned Monday to their camps.
Siyam stressed on Monday that the PA security apparatuses must carry out their mandate in maintaining peace and order in the PA-run lands, and not be involved in any violent incidents whatsoever.
Siyam's assertion was made during a meeting with heads of the PA security apparatuses in Gaza city where he highlighted the need to coordinate with PA president Mahmoud Abbas and premier Ismail Haniyeh in providing the necessary support for the security heads.
He also explained that he ordered pulling back his ministry's executive force from streets after quelling the planned mutiny carried out by tens of "paid" PA security men Sunday, and restoring peace to the Strip. "We have agreed with heads of the security apparatuses to turn all files of violations to the office of the Attorney-General to hold violators of the law accountable", he noted.
He lashed out at Fatah leaders in the West Bank for calling a general strike, underlining that no one has the right to impose his agenda on the Palestinian people as "We, at the moment, need not general strikes but rather national unity to preserve our national interests".
Gaza was calm for most of the day Monday. However in the West Bank, clashes were reported. Hamas offices in Bethlehem, Salfit, Jenin and Jericho were torched.
In one instance, an attempt by Fatah gunmen to force the closure of a Jericho restaurant turned bloody, when a stray bullet bounced off the pavement and hit a waiter in the head, killing him.
In another incident, a Palestinian civilian died on Monday in Israeli shooting from gunboats roaming off the shores of Deir Al-Balah city in central Gaza Strip, medical sources reported. They added that Hani Ibrahim Al-Najjar, 27, who hails from Shati refugee camp in Gaza city, was killed when the Israeli gunboats directly fired at him.
