Gaza coalition on verge of collapse
Last Modified: 12 Jun 2007
Source: ITN
The Fatah movement led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will decide within hours if it should quit the three-month-old unity government with Hamas Islamists, officials from the secular group have declared.
After fierce factional clashes between the rivals in the Gaza Strip, Fatah spokesman Abdel-Hakim Awad said: "Fatah will in the coming hours decide its position on staying in the unity government and whether to withdraw its members from parliament."
An aide to President Abbas said Fatah's Central Committee planned to meet in the West Bank city of Ramallah to discuss whether to quit the unity government.
The announcement followed an attack by Hamas' armed wing on a Fatah security compound after issuing an unprecedented demand for their rivals' security forces to evacuate their own headquarters.
Hamas militants took control of Fatah security posts and set up roadblocks throughout the Gaza Strip, arresting any Fatah security men on the streets.
The militants had issued an ultimatum verging on a declaration of war to rival faction Fatah, threatening to storm their security headquarters in Gaza City unless they were evacuated immediately.
An announcement on a Hamas radio station gave Fatah until 2pm (11am UK time) to pull security men out of the military intelligence, presidential guard, national security and preventive security facilities.
After the deadline passed, witnesses said gunmen from Hamas's armed wing attacked a large security compound of Fatah's national security forces in Gaza City.
Heavy gunfire and explosions sounded in the area, but there was no immediate word on casualties.
Hamas and Fatah have been locked in a new surge of fighting that has verged on civil war and killed at least 20 people since Saturday.
The battles reflect a raging power struggle between Hamas and secular Fatah, partners in a three-month-old unity government.
Gaza coalition on verge of collapse
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