Saturday, January 27, 2007

The IDF sends an undercover unit into Rummana nr. Jenin, raiding a home and fatally shooting a wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. in an apparent assassination; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. In Gaza, most of the Strip shuts down and streets empty as heavy Hamas-Fatah fighting continues in Gaza City for a 3d day, leaving at least another 6 Palestinians dead (including 2 PSF mbrs., 2 Hamas mbrs., a 12-yr.-old boy), at least 23 wounded. A Hamas mbr. dies of injuries received in clashes with the PSF in Gaza City on 1/26. Hamas, Fatah officials negotiate the release of 7 Hamas mbrs., 4 Fatah mbrs. kidnapped in recent days in Khan Yunis; around 12 Fatah and Hamas mbrs. remain in captivity. (NYT, WP, WT 1/28; OCHA 1/31; PCHR 2/1)