Jerusalem – The leader of Palestinian intelligence was badly wounded Saturday in a bombing at his heavily guarded headquarters in Gaza City.
Maj. Gen. Tareq Abu Rajab is a senior member of Fatah and an ally of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
There was no claim of responsibility for the explosion, which hit as the intelligence chief entered an elevator with his aides and bodyguards.
One bodyguard, a nephew of Rajab, was killed, and Rajab and five others were wounded, as were three employees nearby.
Rajab, 59, also known as Muhammad Shanyura, underwent surgery at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza and was transferred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv to try to save his leg, said Dr. Baker Abu Safia, who is in charge of Al Shifa’s emergency room.
The attempt on Rajab’s life occurred amid heightened tension between Fatah and the militant faction Hamas.
Hamas runs the Palestinian Authority and has just deployed its own security force to support the police despite the opposition of Abbas, who ordered security forces loyal to Fatah to deploy as well. On Saturday, some Fatah officials openly blamed Hamas for the attack.
Abbas condemned the assassination attempt, saying it “threatens the Palestinian Authority with grave danger.”