Gaza City, Gaza Strip – The top Palestinian security official quit in exasperation Monday after a second day of firefights among factions left four more people dead, including a truck driver delivering bread.
People frightened by the surge in violence stayed in homes, leaving Gaza City’s streets largely deserted while rival security forces took up positions on rooftops and hundreds of gunmen in ski masks put up checkpoints and stopped cars.
The 2-month-old Hamas-Fatah unity government struggled to prevent Gaza from again descending into chaos.
Government spokesman Ghazi Hamad announced that a truce had been reached at a late- night meeting of factions summoned by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. But a similar cease-fire the previous night collapsed in hours.
With eight dead and about 70 wounded in fighting Sunday and Monday, Interior Minister Hani Kawasmeh resigned and accused both sides of thwarting his efforts to halt violence.
Gazans found the latest violence more ominous than the previous round, saying it signaled the failure of the power- sharing deal between Hamas and Fatah.
“Now they are starting from where they left off,” said Jamal Abu Shabaan, 21, who witnessed a gun battle outside his furniture store Sunday. “If they get to each other’s throats, they won’t let go this time.”
Universities were closed because of the violence, and many parents kept children home from school.
“It’s a curfew out there, masked men everywhere and kidnappings,” said Shereen Abu Hassira, 36.
“No one cares for anyone anymore,” she said. “If they thought of our children, they wouldn’t have done this.”
The Palestinian infighting, combined with a government crisis in Israel that is threatening to bring down Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, is hurting new attempts to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to the peace table after seven years of conflict.
Despite the setbacks, Olmert planned to meet with King Abdullah II in Jordan today.
