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Fatah: Hamas seeking decisive victory in Gaza within hours
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/870095.html ^

Posted on 06/12/2007 8:56:39 AM CDT by jhpigott

Hamas, stepping up a rapidly expanding power struggle, Tuesday afternoon attacked installations of security forces allied to the rival Fatah movement across the Gaza Strip.

The violence, which erupted Monday morning after days of simmering tensions, has claimed 17 lives so far.

The Hamas forces captured several positions from Fatah, and threatened to step up the offensive. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah accused Hamas of staging a coup.

Fatah sources said they believe Hamas is trying to achieve a decisive victory in the Gaza Strip within hours.

In the northern Gaza Strip, about 200 Hamas gunmen surrounded the one compound, where some 500 Fatah fighters were holed up. Hamas fired mortars and rocket-propelled grenades at the building.

“They are attacking from all sides,” said one of the officers, Khaled Awad.

Hamas earlier demanded that Fatah security forces abandon their positions, threatening to attack those who remained in their posts.

Colonel Nasser Khaldi, a Fatah commander in southern Gaza, confirmed his men were on the defensive.

Khaldi said Abbas must now give orders to fight back.

“There is a weakness of our leaders,” he said. “Hamas is just taking over our positions. There are no orders.”

In Khan Yunis, streets were deserted. A member of the Fatah-allied forces there said that Hamas had taken several smaller Fatah positions, but that the main compound holding three branches was still under Fatah control.

The officer said Hamas had taken over a building next to the compound.

“Our orders are to defend ourselves if they come, but not to attack,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...

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