Pali Civil War Claims Two UN Workers

Surely the media will find a way to blame this on Israel.

Two Palestinian employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were shot dead in the Gaza Strip and the agency said on Wednesday it was suspending most of its operations due to the internal fighting.

UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness said one of the employees was shot in the abdomen on Tuesday and died on Wednesday. The other employee was shot in the head on Wednesday.

Gunness said they are the first UN employees killed in Gaza since internal fighting erupted between Hamas Islamists and President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction last year.

Gunness said they appeared to have been caught in the crossfire and not targeted because of their work for the UN Agency, which provides services to Palestinian refugees.

“In view of increased threats to our staff, UNRWA has no choice but to scale back its operations in Gaza with immediate effect,” Gunness said. He said the agency was temporarily suspending all but emergency medical and food programs.

Palestinian Ceasefire Update

Fresh Gaza violence leaves seven dead

Seven Palestinians were killed in Gaza today during fighting between rival armed factions, including a gun battle inside a hospital, which left three dead and several more injured.

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!