Clashes between Fatah, Hamas rivals kills one in Gaza

One Palestinian was killed and 17 others wounded on Monday evening as clashes renewed in southern Gaza Strip between militants and supporters of rival groups Fatah and Hamas, witnesses and medical sources said.

The clashes erupted again in Rafah city during a rally by supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.

The demonstrators were protesting the killing of nine Palestinians on Sunday when Hamas militants engaged in gun battles with security members loyal to Abbas, said the witnesses.

Three of the wounded in today's armed confrontations were from Hamas militants and four from Fatah's. The rest were demonstrators participating in the protests.

According to the witnesses, the demonstrators provoked Hamas' Auxiliary forces which, in return, responded with fire to Fatah loyalists.

Earlier on Monday, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas-led government has called on the Palestinian people to be patient and responsible.

Meanwhile, Haneya defended the deployment of Hamas forces, controlled by Interior Minister Said Siam, saying that the Hamas- led government acts upon the people's will and under the authorities it has.

Palestinian Interior Minister Said Siam deployed his troops to counter striking security members who resorted to chaotic means in their strike by blocking roads with burning tires.

As the Palestinians were battling in what is called the brothers' infighting, "Israeli troops, at the same time, fired artillery shells in northern Gaza Strip town of Biet Hanoun, destroying a factory of sponge products," said security sources.

The sources also said that the factory, targeted for the second time in less than a year by Israeli artillery shells was badly damaged, but no injuries had been reported.

Source: Xinhua