“Internal organisational differences” between Fatah’s members resulted in the attack against a party leader in the Gaza Strip, a Hamas official said yesterday.
Interior ministry spokesman Iyad Al-Bazm said in a statement: “The security forces initiated a swift investigation into the shooting incident which targeted Fatah leader Ma’mon Swidan and the preliminary results revealed that the accident was a result of internal organisational differences related to suspending some members’ salaries.”
Al-Bazm added: “Swidan received a threat a few days before the incident and did not inform the security services in Gaza to take the necessary action.”
He stressed that the security services will continue their investigation to locate the perpetrators.
Two Palestinians were wounded yesterday morning when unidentified masked gunmen opened fire on Swidan’s car injuring two of his bodyguards.
A spokesman for Fatah in the West Bank, Ahmad Assaf held Hamas responsibility for what he described as “an assassination attempt”.
Assaf said in a press release yesterday: “We hold Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, his deputy, Ismail Haniyeh, and their armed groups responsible for terrorism in the Gaza Strip, and the attempted assassination on Swidan.”
Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zuhri refuted Assaf’s accusations.
Abu Zuhri said what is happening in Gaza is “a reflection of the conflicts between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his rival Mohammed Dahlan.”
The Palestinian unity government did not assume its responsibility in the Gaza Strip due to the political differences between Hamas and Fatah.
Fatah accuses Hamas of forming a shadow government in Gaza, a charge denied by Hamas.