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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| West Bank fighting kills six Palestinians | West Bank fighting kills six Palestinians |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Six people have been killed in a West Bank clash between Hamas fighters and Palestinian policemen, officials say. | Six people have been killed in a West Bank clash between Hamas fighters and Palestinian policemen, officials say. |
| Three policemen, two members of Hamas and another man were killed in a gun battle when police went to arrest the Hamas men in a dawn raid in Qalqilya. | Three policemen, two members of Hamas and another man were killed in a gun battle when police went to arrest the Hamas men in a dawn raid in Qalqilya. |
| Officials said the police were loyal to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, of rival group Fatah. | Officials said the police were loyal to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, of rival group Fatah. |
| It is one of the worst clashes in the West Bank since Hamas seized control in the Gaza Strip in 2007. | It is one of the worst clashes in the West Bank since Hamas seized control in the Gaza Strip in 2007. |
| The owner of a home in which Hamas gunmen had been hiding was also killed, Palestinian security officials said, according to Reuters news agency. | The owner of a home in which Hamas gunmen had been hiding was also killed, Palestinian security officials said, according to Reuters news agency. |
| Factional tension | Factional tension |
| Fighting erupted when police went to arrest Mohammed al-Samman, the commander of Hamas's armed wing in the northern West Bank, reports said. | Fighting erupted when police went to arrest Mohammed al-Samman, the commander of Hamas's armed wing in the northern West Bank, reports said. |
| Mr Samman and another Hamas man, had ignored calls to surrender, witnesses told Reuters. | Mr Samman and another Hamas man, had ignored calls to surrender, witnesses told Reuters. |
| Aleem Maqbool, BBC News, Ramallah For nearly two years, Hamas has been in charge of the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, the West Bank. | Aleem Maqbool, BBC News, Ramallah For nearly two years, Hamas has been in charge of the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, the West Bank. |
| During that time both sides have been accused by human rights groups of abuses of power against rival supporters - including arbitrary arrests and even torture. | During that time both sides have been accused by human rights groups of abuses of power against rival supporters - including arbitrary arrests and even torture. |
| But Fatah says this incident was simply a case of trying to enforce the law. That hasn't stopped it raising tensions. | But Fatah says this incident was simply a case of trying to enforce the law. That hasn't stopped it raising tensions. |
| The two factions are supposed to be in a reconciliation process to end their deep split. | The two factions are supposed to be in a reconciliation process to end their deep split. |
| But their talks seem to be going nowhere. Mistrust between them remains high. | But their talks seem to be going nowhere. Mistrust between them remains high. |
| And the power struggle, which has been so damaging to Palestinian society and the national cause, looks set to continue. | |
| Palestinian security forces spokesman Adnan Damiri said "thousands" of shots had been fired at Palestinian security forces during the battle. | Palestinian security forces spokesman Adnan Damiri said "thousands" of shots had been fired at Palestinian security forces during the battle. |
| Hamas responded to the shooting with a statement from Gaza denouncing Mr Abbas's forces as "Zionist agents". | Hamas responded to the shooting with a statement from Gaza denouncing Mr Abbas's forces as "Zionist agents". |
| "Their crackdown against and pursuit of wanted men with the help of the enemy [Israel] lays down the foundation for resistance" by Hamas, Reuters reported the group as saying. | "Their crackdown against and pursuit of wanted men with the help of the enemy [Israel] lays down the foundation for resistance" by Hamas, Reuters reported the group as saying. |
| Fatah denied the Hamas claim, saying it was simply a case of trying to enforce the law. | Fatah denied the Hamas claim, saying it was simply a case of trying to enforce the law. |
| There are now fears of tit-for-tat arrest campaigns in the West Bank and Gaza, as has happened in the past, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Ramallah. | There are now fears of tit-for-tat arrest campaigns in the West Bank and Gaza, as has happened in the past, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Ramallah. |
| Inter-factional fighting in Gaza came to a head in the summer of 2007 when Hamas fighters ousted the pro-Fatah security forces and overthrew Palestinian Authority control. | Inter-factional fighting in Gaza came to a head in the summer of 2007 when Hamas fighters ousted the pro-Fatah security forces and overthrew Palestinian Authority control. |
| As well as continued tension, both sides have been accused of conducting politically motivated arrests and the torture of rival faction members . | As well as continued tension, both sides have been accused of conducting politically motivated arrests and the torture of rival faction members . |
| Solving Fatah-Hamas differences is seen as an essential step if an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is to happen. | Solving Fatah-Hamas differences is seen as an essential step if an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is to happen. |
| Unlike the Fatah-dominated PLO, Hamas refuses to recognise Israel's right to exist and has waged a violent campaign against it for years. | Unlike the Fatah-dominated PLO, Hamas refuses to recognise Israel's right to exist and has waged a violent campaign against it for years. |