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Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Fatah fatality in day five of "unity" - updated

Fatah and Hamas resumed their natural tendencies after a few days of unnatural "unity."

In a firefight in Beit Lahiya, a Fatah member was blown up by an RPG (Fatah claims Hamas fired it, Hamas claimed it was his own grenade). Eight more were injured in the fighting. (Update: Injuries up to 14.)

The death broke a 48-hour streak in which there were no PalArab fatal work accidents or internal killings. As of now, the 2007 count of such deaths is at 143. But only three have died since the unity government took effect, so there is plenty for the EU and US to overlook as they talk to the Hamas-oriented PA leaders.

UPDATE: A 20-year old PalArab was found strangled with an electrical cord, beaten and shot: 144. Also, a UN vehicle was carjacked - but PalArab violence towards the UN is "very rare."

UPDATE 2: Arabic Ma'an reports on a new fatality in Fatah/Hamas Unity Violence (always characterized as "unfortunate.") 145.