Although Egyptian mediators have arranged several brief ceasefires between gunmen from the Islamist movement Hamas, which won elections last year, and its rival, Fatah, there still appears to be no agreement between the groups to halt the battles.MENSA member?Shooting broke out in Beit Hanoun, a town in the north of Gaza, with the killing of a Fatah bodyguard and a Hamas fighter. The gun battles then continued when armed men stormed into the Beit Hanoun hospital, which was being guarded by Hamas gunmen. Three people in the hospital were killed - a father and two sons. One was apparently shot from close range. At least 19 others were injured.
In Gaza City, gunmen fired on the offices of Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister and a Hamas leader, as he was holding a cabinet meeting. No one was hurt, but the cabinet meeting was cancelled. Most of the cabinet members present were from Hamas, although one was from Fatah.
In a separate incident, the home of the sports minister, a Hamas figure and close ally of Mr Haniyeh, was fired on but no one was injured. Later there were also shots exchanged at Gaza City's main hospital, Shifa.
The factional fighting, which Palestinian analysts say is fuelled mostly by a struggle for power, has now claimed around 620 lives since Hamas came to power early last year. The violence has left many senior Palestinian figures warning of civil war in Gaza.I know, let's give 'em a state!
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