Catch of Gaza of June 2007

The takeover of Gaza by the Hamas refers to the offensive of the islamist movement in the Gaza Strip operated between the 12 and on June 14th, 2007 against the attributes of the presidential capacity of Mahmoud Abbas and more generally against the forces of the Fatah.

This ultimate offensive makes following the Tensions interpalestiniennes which had burst regularly for several months.

The international Red Cross estimates that more than 550 people were wounded and at least 116 killed during these confrontations.

Context of the attack

After the resumption of the conflict between Fatah and Hamas the June 10th, of the militants of Hamas capture several members of Fatah and throw one of the officers of the Presidential guard, Mohammed Sweirki, the top of a building of 15 floors in Gaza. In reprisals, Fatah militants attack and kill the more important Imam Mosquée of the city, Mohammed Al-Rifati. They open fire against the house of the Prime Minister Ismaël Haniyeh. Before midnight, a militant of Hamas is also thrown top of a building of 12 floors.

The June 11th, the residence of Mahmoud Abbas, directing of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority and that of Ismaël Haniyeh, Prime Minister and one of the leaders of Hamas, are aimed by balls and shell.

Course of the offensive

The June 12th, Hamas initiates attacks against stations held by the factions of Fatah. Hundreds of combatants of Hamas go on these positions after having given a two hours deadline so that their occupants leave the places. The fall of an important base of Fatah in the north of Jabaliya in the hands of Hamas is thus told at the AFP news agency. Heavy combat also make rage in the district-general of Fatah with Gaza that Hamas militants attack with the grenade propelled by rockets and with automatic weapons.

The June 13rd, Hamas holds the HQ of the national security forces controlled by Fatah in the north of Gaza. Positions in height are taken under the terms of street battles to prevent shootings of snipers of Fatah since the top of the buildings. A position is shaven with the bulldozer. The same day, an explosion in the preventive Security Offices of Fatah with Khan Younis makes 5 dead.

The June 14th, Hamas completely holds the principal building of the services of preventive safety in the Gaza Strip, services marked to have to cooperate with Israel and directed by Mohammed Dahlan, pet peeve of islamist in the Gaza Strip. The weapons and the vehicles, symbols of the Palestinian authority in the band and in the past provided by the United States, are taken by the members of Hamas. The militants change the name of the district of the building, of " Such Al-Hawa" in " Such Al-Islam". In the afternoon of June 14th, Associated Press brings back an explosion in the center of Gaza at the time of the withdrawal of the security forces of Fatah. Later in the course of the day, the takeover of Hamas is effective in the south of the band with the catch of the town of Rafah in the south, close to the border (closed) with the Egypt and usually controlled by a collaboration between security forces Palestinian and European and supervised by the Israelis. The European personnel folded up itself before towards the Israeli city of Ashkelon for safety reasons.

Violations of the Human rights

the combat of Hamas and Fatah constitute a brutal attack with the most fundamental humane principles. The murder of non-combatant civilians as of prisoners is a war crime pure and simple , declares Sarah Leah Whitson, director of Human Rights Watch in the Middle East.

Human Rights Watch shows the two rival factions to violate the international humanitarian right and in certain cases of war crimes. The charges include the catch for target of civilians and their death, as well as public executions political opponents and prisoners, the fact of throwing prisoners by the windows of apartments in height, the combat in hospitals and shootings since a vehicle marked " TV".

During engagements, incidents of plundering proceeded: crowd in particular seized pieces of furniture, paintings and other objects personal in the villa of late directing Yasser Arafat. The house of the former strong man of Fatah in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Dahlan, was also plundered, since its pieces of furniture until its plumbing. As for Muntada, the presidential residence of Mahmoud Abbas in seaside, witnesses report the flight by Hamas combatants of computers, documents and of weapons.

Consequences

Policies

At the conclusion of the catch of Gaza, President Mahmoud Abbas announces the dissolution of the Palestinian Parliament and the dismissal of the government of national union directed by Ismaël Haniyeh of the Hamas. He issues the state of emergency in the Palestinian Territoires and names Salam Fayyad to form a new cabinet tightened around independent personalities. This new government comprises 11 ministers. It lends oath on June 17th, 2007 to Ramallah and extends its authority on the the West Bank. He is not recognized by the Hamas, which regards as illegitimate and nondemocratic the dissolution of the Parliament made up following the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006, but the western powers give their support for the capacity of Mahmoud Abbas.

Following the operation of Hamas, the Palestinian territories are divided de facto into two entities controlled by rival capacities.

Nuns

The Gaza Strip becomes, following this military victory of Hamas, a territory where the Islamic law applies. June 15th, 2007, Nizar Riyan, one of the leaders of the political wing of Hamas in Gaza, declared: “in a few hours, the era of secularity in the Gaza Strip will be finished and nothing of that will remain… Today mark end of the heresy. Today the battle opposes Islam to the infidels and it will finish with the victory of Islam”. Being the situation of the Christians, they can continue to live in Gaza if they accept it, in particular for the prohibition of alcohol and the vestimentary decency of the women, according to the assertions of an interviewed islamist leader. These remarks are denied by Khaled Mechaal, directing of Hamas in exile. The question of the place of the Christians compared to the Islamization of the company in this territory is put. Although Hamas is officially defended to want to found an Islamic State in the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Abbas as well as the Palestinian and Egyptian media frequently resorts to the expression “Islamic emirate” to describe the new entity controlled by Hamas.

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