Saturday, June 16, 2007
TILES STOLEN
Hamas stomps Fatah:
Hamas gunmen overran the mainstream security forces loyal to Mr Abbas’s secular Fatah faction in the Gaza Strip yesterday after a week of bitter internecine fighting that killed more than 110 people.
Fatah storms back:
Witnesses say Fatah gunmen storming Hamas-controlled government offices.
Yasser’s wall tiles stolen:
A crowd on Saturday looted the home of longtime Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, destroying one of the strongest symbols of the Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip, witnesses and Fatah officials said.
Fatah officials said the crowd took furniture, wall tiles and Arafat’s personal belongings.
Hamas gets pro-active, Fatah gets out of town:
Hamas gunmen were going house to house in search of Fatah rivals to seize their weapons. At least 200 Fatah men have already fled the territory to neighbouring Egypt.
Samih Madhoun closes his account:
Women waved their hands and screeched in celebration. A gathering mob shouted “Film the dog! Film the dog!” as a battered body was dragged through a dusty hallway, then shot twice, ending the life of hated Fatah militiaman Samih Madhoun ...
For his part, Madhoun had boasted in a radio interivew of his role in killings and kidnappings of Hamas members and vowed to “slaughter” more “like sheep in the streets” after Hamas burnt down his house.
An understatement:
The current internecine conflict between Hamas and Fatah is preventing the unity needed for a Palestinian state.
UPDATE. A partial mask-ban is in place:
In their first order since seizing control of the Gaza Strip, Hamas Islamists banned gunmen from wearing masks - unless they are shooting at Israel.
UPDATE II. They stole more than Yasser’s tiles:
"They stole almost everything inside the house, including Arafat’s Nobel Peace Prize medal,” said Ramallah-based Fatah spokesman Ahmed Abdel Rahman.
UPDATE III. The bearded are victimised:
"Nowadays a beard is no longer a religious decree, it’s a clear and present danger,” one of the merchants told Ynet. “Fatah harasses anyone with a beard and beats them, so may Allah forgive us if we remove ours to stay safe. As it is the beard is optional and not mandatory,” he said.
UPDATE IV. A best-selling author threatens the region:
My name is Antony Loewenstein and I’m an Australian about to hit Damascus.