News / World
Fighting Continues in Gaza Strip as Israeli Planes Attack Hamas Targets
The Gaza Strip continues to sink deeper into violence as Israeli planes have launched an offensive against rival Hamas targets in response to rocket attacks in southern Israel.
Much of the violence in the past six days has been attributed to internal Palestinian fighting between rival factions Hamas and Fatah. In January Fatah lost its majority hold in the Palestinian parliament to Hamas and their power-sharing deal has all but broken down, leading many to believe an all out civil war is imminent.
Fighting between the two factions centered around the area just outside Gaza City’s Islamic University on Friday. During the attacks the office of the university’s president, Kamelen Shaath, was targeted by rocket-propelled grenades.
In an attempt to quell the violence surrounding the institution Shaath pleaded “Universities must be outside the circle of violence and I appeal to the president and all the wise people on both sides to try and spare the university the agony of this fight.”
Fatah, considered a more moderate, left of center, political party has long been at odds with the more militant style of Hamas and the surprise elections in January further divided the two factions as Hamas took control in the Palestinian parliament.
Israel has said that it will not take sides in the internal battle between Hamas and Fatah and their air strikes were in direct retaliation for the Hamas attacks in southern Israel. Hamas has claimed that several members of the Fatah party have been working with Israel forces.
In the six days of violence 47 Palestinians have been killed as a result of infighting. The Israeli strikes have accounted for an additional 17 deaths.
