Hamas, Fatah trade kidnappings in Gaza: witnesses

Members of the two rival Palestinian mainstream movements, Hamas and Fatah, traded kidnappings Monday evening in northern Gaza City, violating internal agreement of calmness, witnesses said.

According to the witnesses, gunmen from the governing Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) abducted a brother of a senior Fatah militant in the northern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Jabaliya, provoking Fatah's armed wing to respond by seizing a number of Hamas loyalists.

Local media reported that three Fatah members were abducted by Hamas which had 13 loyalists kidnapped by Fatah, while two people were wounded in gunbattles that coincided with the kidnappings.

The power struggle between the governing Hamas and the once- dominant Fatah led by moderate President Mahmoud Abbas has raged last month when Abbas called for early legislative and presidential elections against Hamas' will.

About 20 people were killed in fierce clashes in the Gaza Strip following the early elections call.

Hamas slammed the early polls as a coup against the results of last parliamentary elections that brought Hamas into office 10 months ago.

Source: Xinhua