Gunmen storm Palestinian parliament (Reuters) Updated: 2006-01-29 09:39
Firing into the air, Fatah gunmen and police stormed Palestinian parliament
buildings on Saturday in growing unrest after their long-dominant party's
crushing election defeat by Hamas Islamists.
A Fatah militant
fires into the air in front of the Palestinian parliament building in the
West Bank city of Ramallah January 28, 2006. Firing into the air, Fatah
gunmen stormed Palestinian parliament buildings on Saturday and demanded
the party leadership resign following a crushing election defeat by Hamas.
[Reuters]
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Hamas leaders meanwhile rejected as "blackmail" Western demands that it
renounce violence against Israel or risk losing aid vital to the survival of the
Palestinian Authority. Hopes of peacemaking with Israel have been pushed further
into limbo.
Turmoil since the parliamentary election landslide has fueled fears of
inter-Palestinian strife as Hamas tries to form a government and possibly take
over security forces packed with Fatah loyalists at odds with the Islamic
militants.
Thousands of gunmen from President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah held protests across
the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, many firing automatic rifles
into the air.
They took over parliament in the West Bank city of Ramallah for about 20
minutes, shouting demands from the roof before descending peacefully. Fatah
militants and police also seized the parliament building in the Gaza Strip.
The gunmen demanded Fatah leaders resign. They also aimed to dissuade the
party from any idea of sharing power with Hamas or letting it control security
forces -- after Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal said it planned to form "an
army."
"We will transform the army of the Palestinian Authority into armed militias.
We are not waiting for Hamas to teach us their Islamic beliefs. We know the
Koran by heart," said Fatah gunman Ramzi Obeid.
In Gaza, where eight people were hurt on Friday in clashes between Fatah and
Hamas activists, the gunmen were joined in their protest by police opposed to
any Hamas control over them.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz repeated Israel's vow not to negotiate with
Hamas and to strike at its leaders if the group, which has waged a suicide
bombing campaign against the Jewish state, broke a February truce.
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