< Group Protesting Violence Draws Fire in Gaza Strip

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Heard on All Things Considered

June 13, 2007 - ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas continued to fight each other for control of the Gaza Strip. Today, Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the bloodshed madness. But the violence goes on with at least 69 Palestinians killed since the latest round of fighting began over the weekend. On the ground, the Islamist militants of Hamas continued to make gains. And in Gaza City, a civilian street demonstration against the violence was attacked.

From Gaza, NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

ERIC WESTERVELT: Several hundred distraught and angry civilians marched through the center of Gaza City today, shouting: stop the killing. Several women held a large banner that read, to our decision makers, history will judge you and generations will not forgive you.

More and more Palestinians here are calling the escalating clashes civil war. This 16-year-old girl who gave her name only as Hala(ph) carried a Palestinian flag and an anti-violence banner. The gunmen want to destroy the culture of our fathers and grandfathers, Hala said. We will not allow them to do this.

HALA (Protester): (Through translator) I'm saying it's enough killing. Enough. What are they fighting for? They're fighting over this broken chair and neither side deserves the broken chair. If neither side can solve their problems, let them go to hell.

WESTERVELT: The protest was dominated by Fatah supporters, but several Muqtas or clan leaders attended, along with militants from Islamic jihad and several other smaller factions. Wheelchair-bound Oni Muqta(ph) propelled himself down the street amid the crowd. He called the internal bloodshed a shameful time.

Mr. ONI MUQTA (Protester): (Through translator) How can a Palestinian kill another Palestinian? I was wounded resisting our enemy, Israel. How will I now face the Arab people knowing we are killing each other?

WESTERVELT: Not long after the rally began, the protesters came under fire.

(Soundbite of gunshots)

WESTERVELT: It wasn't clear who shot first. An elderly woman in a long, black dress cursed the gunman as she ran for cover.

Unidentified Woman: (Foreign language spoken)

WESTERVELT: Damn. Damn their fathers, the woman shouted as she huddled with her family outside a shuttered shop. Where did these killers and kidnappers come from? she asked. Further down the street, another group of marchers came under fire. This time, several witnesses say it was Hamas gunmen who fired first. Two people were killed and four others were wounded. Several marchers actively tried to stop Fatah gunmen from returning fire, risking their lives trying to stop the violence.

Late today, hundreds of gunmen with the Fatah-allied clan, the Bakr family, surrendered to Hamas and were led, arms in the air, to a nearby mosque. After today's fighting, Hamas now military controls large slots of Gaza. Hamas has systematically routed Fatah at several key security compounds. Today in Khan Yunis in central Gaza, Hamas blew up a Fatah security compound after digging a 200-yard-long tunnel from a nearby house into the complex. Hospital officials say at least six Fatah men were killed.

Today, contacted by cell phone, Hamas' Gaza spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, claimed that the group easily won several battles because scores of Fatah men had fled their post and, quote, "refused to shoot against Hamas."

The presidential compound and preventive security headquarters in Gaza City are now among the few remaining Fatah strongholds. Asked if Hamas would press its offensive against those remaining centers, Barhoum said, quote, "any place which commits any kind of aggression against Hamas has to be targeted," adding that Hamas, quote, "will pay the prize in blood to free the people from these oppressive Fatah security forces," end quote.

Meantime today, the United Nations Refugee Agency here announced it was suspending almost all of its operations due to the deteriorating security. Since Monday, two Palestinian U.N. employees - a garbage collector and a food aid worker - were caught in the crossfire and killed.

Eric Westervelt, NPR News, Gaza City.

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