The Gaza Anarchy Continues

You still can't call it a civil war until Matt Lauer says so. Yet, dozens of Palestinians - either Hamas or Fatah supporters - are quite dead as a result of fighting between the two terrorist groups for supremacy. They're fighting to see which group gets to determine the pace of attacking and destroying Israel.

Hamas and Fatah gunmen firing mortar shells and lobbing grenades fought outside a security compound in Gaza City early Saturday, a day after 16 Palestinians were killed and scores wounded in some of the deadliest factional clashes in recent weeks.

The violence froze talks about bringing Fatah into the Hamas-led government, negotiators said. Fatah’s leader, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said he would go ahead with his plan to call early elections if the coalition negotiations don’t produce results within two to three weeks.

The Gaza fighting, which started late Thursday, was among the deadliest in nearly two months. Gun battles raged across Gaza City on Friday and continued early Saturday. On Friday, 16 people were killed and 66 wounded, according to Health Ministry officials.

This charade about unity talks has gone on for more than a year and no one is backing down. There is no unity government to speak of because Hamas will not recant its basic ideology - it refuses to recognize Israel as anything other than a target for annihilation. It will not recognize Israel's right to exist.

Failing that, Hamas wants to control the meager purse strings of the PA and dominate the kleptocracy previously run by Fatah. Still this bit is classic for its irony:

In fighting around the compound on Friday, a total of six Hamas gunmen were killed, said Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha. He accused Fatah loyalists of storming a mosque near the security headquarters and executing a senior Hamas activist inside while he was reading the Quran, the Muslim holy book.

Fatah denied the claim and said Hamas gunmen used the mosque as a base for attacking the security headquarters.

UPDATE:
Leave it to the AP to come up with asnine headlines - Hamas, Fatah exchange fire in Gaza. This isn't exchanging Christmas gifts, but gunfire that results in folks dead and injured. Hamas and Fatah are battling for supremacy in Gaza, and are killing each other. Yet, AP produces headlines that are in the passive voice and inaccurately reflect the situation.

Gunmen exchanged fire near Gaza City's Islamic University on Saturday, killing two men on the third straight day of Hamas-Fatah factional fighting.

The deaths brought to 19 the number of Palestinians killed since late Thursday, and a least 66 people were wounded. The rival Hamas and Fatah movements traded angry accusations, and each held several supporters of the other side hostage.

The violence froze talks about bringing Fatah into the Hamas-led government, negotiators said. Fatah's leader, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said he would go ahead with his plan to call early elections if the coalition negotiations fail to produce results within two to three weeks.