Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Four Palestinians, including two supporters of rivals Hamas and Fatah, were killed in a family feud late Friday and early Saturday, threatening the calm that has accompanied a power-sharing deal between the two groups.
The agreement, reached two weeks ago, halted months of factional clashes that killed 130 people, but Gaza remains volatile because families of some of the victims still seek revenge.
The latest violence broke out shortly before midnight when Mohammed Ghelban, 28, a local commander of Hamas’ military wing, was killed in a drive-by shooting outside his home in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.
A 22-year-old man from a Fatah-allied family, Hazem Karouah, was killed several hours later, as was Ismail Sabah, 75, caught in the line of fire. Ghada Karouah, 27, died later of wounds.
Thirty-seven people were wounded in the violence, four critically, hospital officials said.
The two factions did not openly blame each other for the killings. However, government spokesman Ghazi Hamad of Hamas said some groups were “trying to revive the internal conflict through acts of aggression.”
A Hamas legislator, Ahmed Bahar, said Saturday that he expects a coalition to be formed the first week of March. It would replace a year-old Hamas-led government that was shunned by other nations because it refused to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept previous peace deals.
