Gaza moves towards civil war
Updated on 12 June 2007
Gaza is plunged into new depths of despair after two days of brutal fighting between Hamas and Fatah.
Viewers may find some of the images in our diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Rugman's report distressing.
Houses bombarded, bodies mutilated, a shootout inside a hospital. One Palestinian said Gaza was now more like Iraq, as fierce internal fighting moved the region towards all-out civil war.
Gunmen from the ruling Hamas group stormed the security headquarters of the rival Fatah faction. Their commanders ordered their units to stand firm and defeat what they called a "coup".
The violence is now redefining brutality. Hospitals have been turned into battlegrounds by gunmen who have denied their wounded rivals medical care.
And in tit for tat gang warfare, two men - the first from Fatah, the second from Hamas - were delibertately thrown from the top of tower blocks to their deaths.
Overnight, a rocket-propelled grenade hit the home of Ismail Haniya, the Hamas prime minister, after shots were fired at his office yesterday. Hamas accuses Fatah forces loyal to President Abbas of trying to assassinate the Hamas leader.
Tonight Gaza seems to be heading into uncharted territory.
But Fatah buildings, including the president's compound, were also hit by supporters of Hamas. The president was safe in the West Bank but three Fatah officials lost their lives.
While President Abbas has called for a ceasefire, an Egyptian mediator has lambasted both sides for ignoring his attempts to broker a truce. Most Palestinians are staying at home, off the streets, though a steady trickle is heading towards the Egyptian border.
Tonight Gaza seems to be heading into uncharted territory.
