Gaza gunmen rampage in Rafah as unrest grows
GAZA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Firing into the air, Palestinian gunmen blocked access to Gaza's Rafah border crossing to Egypt and stormed government offices on Wednesday in growing unrest ahead of a Palestinian election later this month.
The gunmen, from al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a renegade militant group in the ruling Fatah faction, went on the rampage after a local leader was arrested by police on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of three Britons last week.
Masked gunmen ordered passengers to leave the European Union-monitored Rafah terminal and blocked access to facility after taking over several government offices in the border town and kicking out the workers.
Chaos has deepened in Gaza, territory seen as a testing ground for Palestinian statehood, since Israeli troops withdrew in September. The end of 38 years of occupation has intensified a power struggle betwen militants and security forces.
The gunmen, who earlier planted bombs at the border terminal, said they would prevent voting in Rafah in a Jan. 25 parliamentary election unless Palestinian security forces freed their leader.
"We have not yet received answers on our demands to immediately release Ala al-Hams (the kidnapping suspect)," said a spokesman for the gunmen who called himself Abu Yazan.
"(The elections office) will remain closed and we will not allow parliamentary elections to be held in Rafah unless Ala (al-Hams) is released," Abu Yazan said.
The incident was another embarrassing blow to President Mahmoud Abbas, who has come under growing pressure from within Fatah to delay the election in which the faction is widely expected to lose ground to the militant Hamas group.
Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, is riding high on a wave of popularity among Palestinians over its corruption-free reputation and extensive charity network.
The unrest in Rafah began on Tuesday after the arrest of al-Hams. Gunmen detonated a bomb under a barrier along the Gaza-Egypt border and later took over an office in charge of the Palestinian security services in protest at his arrest.
The gunmen also threatened to kidnap any Palestinian Authority official who passed through the Rafah crossing.
There have been a rash of abductions in Gaza since the Israeli pullout. Last week, gunmen snatched British aid worker Kate Burton and her parents as they visited Rafah. They were freed unharmed after three days in captivity. In fresh violence in the West Bank, the Israeli army said its troops killed a Palestinian militant in an exchange of fire near Hebron.
The gunmen, from al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a renegade militant group in the ruling Fatah faction, went on the rampage after a local leader was arrested by police on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of three Britons last week.
Masked gunmen ordered passengers to leave the European Union-monitored Rafah terminal and blocked access to facility after taking over several government offices in the border town and kicking out the workers.
Chaos has deepened in Gaza, territory seen as a testing ground for Palestinian statehood, since Israeli troops withdrew in September. The end of 38 years of occupation has intensified a power struggle betwen militants and security forces.
The gunmen, who earlier planted bombs at the border terminal, said they would prevent voting in Rafah in a Jan. 25 parliamentary election unless Palestinian security forces freed their leader.
"We have not yet received answers on our demands to immediately release Ala al-Hams (the kidnapping suspect)," said a spokesman for the gunmen who called himself Abu Yazan.
"(The elections office) will remain closed and we will not allow parliamentary elections to be held in Rafah unless Ala (al-Hams) is released," Abu Yazan said.
The incident was another embarrassing blow to President Mahmoud Abbas, who has come under growing pressure from within Fatah to delay the election in which the faction is widely expected to lose ground to the militant Hamas group.
Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, is riding high on a wave of popularity among Palestinians over its corruption-free reputation and extensive charity network.
The unrest in Rafah began on Tuesday after the arrest of al-Hams. Gunmen detonated a bomb under a barrier along the Gaza-Egypt border and later took over an office in charge of the Palestinian security services in protest at his arrest.
The gunmen also threatened to kidnap any Palestinian Authority official who passed through the Rafah crossing.
There have been a rash of abductions in Gaza since the Israeli pullout. Last week, gunmen snatched British aid worker Kate Burton and her parents as they visited Rafah. They were freed unharmed after three days in captivity. In fresh violence in the West Bank, the Israeli army said its troops killed a Palestinian militant in an exchange of fire near Hebron.
posted by Marko at 1/04/2006 09:47:00 AM
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