Fatah blames Hamas for Gaza bombings
Fatah blames Hamas for Gaza bombings
Fatah officials level blame at Hamas for string of bombings which led to Palestinian prime minister cancelling Gaza visit.
2 min read
Fatah and Hamas called for an official investigation [Getty]
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement has accused Hamas of being behind several bomb attack targeting its leaders in the Gaza Strip on Friday.
"The Fatah central committee condems the crimes which took place this morning against its leaders and lays the responsibility for these crimes upon Hamas," said Nasser al-Qidwa, a senior Fatah offical, at a press conference in Ramallah.
Earlier on Friday, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah cancelled a planned visit to Gaza after a wave of bombings hit Fatah properties in the costal enclave, government spokesman Ihab Bseiso said.
Hamdallah was due to travel to Gaza on Saturday to meet with the European Union's new foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.
At least 10 explosions tore through houses and cars belonging to members of the Fatah movement in Gaza on Friday morning.
Fatah spokesman Usama al-Qawasmi said that the explosions targeted the homes of Gaza Governor Abdullah al-Efranji, Fatah MP Faisal Abu Shahla, Revolutionary Council member Abu Juda al-Nahhal, Fatah spokesman Fayiz Abu Aita, and Fatah leaders Abd al-Rahman Hamad, Abd al-Jawad Ziyada, Sharif Abu Watfeh, Jamal Obeid, and Ziyad Matar.
No casualties were reported.
An EU spokesman said that Mogherini "still plans to go to Gaza", where she will meet Gaza-based Palestinian cabinet ministers and UN relief agency staff.
She will meet Hamdallah in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday evening before holding talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
A stage erected for next week's commemorations of the tenth anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat was also targeted in the blast.
It is the first time in years that a public commemoration of Arafat's death has been planned in Gaza.
Earlier this year Hamas and Fatah struck a reconciliation deal which led to the formation of a government of national unity.
The Hamas movement, the governing body in Gaza, condemned Friday's attacks , calling them a "criminal act".
"The Fatah central committee condems the crimes which took place this morning against its leaders and lays the responsibility for these crimes upon Hamas," said Nasser al-Qidwa, a senior Fatah offical, at a press conference in Ramallah.
Earlier on Friday, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah cancelled a planned visit to Gaza after a wave of bombings hit Fatah properties in the costal enclave, government spokesman Ihab Bseiso said.
Hamdallah was due to travel to Gaza on Saturday to meet with the European Union's new foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.
At least 10 explosions tore through houses and cars belonging to members of the Fatah movement in Gaza on Friday morning.
Fatah spokesman Usama al-Qawasmi said that the explosions targeted the homes of Gaza Governor Abdullah al-Efranji, Fatah MP Faisal Abu Shahla, Revolutionary Council member Abu Juda al-Nahhal, Fatah spokesman Fayiz Abu Aita, and Fatah leaders Abd al-Rahman Hamad, Abd al-Jawad Ziyada, Sharif Abu Watfeh, Jamal Obeid, and Ziyad Matar.
No casualties were reported.
An EU spokesman said that Mogherini "still plans to go to Gaza", where she will meet Gaza-based Palestinian cabinet ministers and UN relief agency staff.
She will meet Hamdallah in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday evening before holding talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
A stage erected for next week's commemorations of the tenth anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat was also targeted in the blast.
It is the first time in years that a public commemoration of Arafat's death has been planned in Gaza.
Earlier this year Hamas and Fatah struck a reconciliation deal which led to the formation of a government of national unity.
The Hamas movement, the governing body in Gaza, condemned Friday's attacks , calling them a "criminal act".
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