MIDEAST: Fatah gunmen storm Palestinian parliament buildings in Gaza and the West Bank, demanding the party leadership resign following the Hamas victory in elections.

Record ID: 376871

  • Title: MIDEAST: Fatah gunmen storm Palestinian parliament buildings in Gaza and the West Bank, demanding the party leadership resign following the Hamas victory in elections.
  • Date: 29th January 2006
  • Summary: (W3) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JANUARY 28, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE OF CROWD MARCHING TO MUQATA AREA ARMED SOLDIERS STANDING ON COMPOUND WALLS CROWD MARCHING TOWARDS MUQATA PRESIDENTIAL SOLDIER STANDING ON WALL SOLDIERS WATCHING AS CROWDS PASS THEM MAN CARRYING PALESTINIAN FLAG WITHIN CROWD MORE OF CROWDS PASSING SOLDIERS THREE PALESTINIAN SOLDIERS STANDING BESIDE PALESTINIAN FLAG
  • Embargoed: 13th February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: War / Fighting,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA6VQ7ZJRW7JSEFSRFQXOQXOJD
  • Story Text: Firing into the air, Fatah gunmen stormed Palestinian parliament buildings on Saturday (January 28) and demanded the party leadership resign following a crushing election defeat by Hamas. The anger was mostly directed at leaders of President Mahmoud Abbas's long-dominant Fatah, but protests added to doubts over how Hamas would be able to form a government and deal with security forces. The Islamist group's surprise victory in the parliamentary election this week has plunged Middle East peacemaking deeper into limbo. In Gaza, police briefly stormed the local parliament compound in protest at suggestions by Hamas that it take over security forces once it forms a new government.

    In Ramallah, West Bank, chanting gunmen moved through the streets and took over the Palestinian Legislative Council bulding for about 20 minutes, shouting demands from the roof before descending peacefully. They kept firing as they moved to Abbas's Muqata compound, although they did not specifically demand that Abbas step down. "Our enemies are counting on our infighting but we must stand united and be stronger than ever before," Jibril Rajoub, a Fatah candidate and leader who advises Abbas on security issues, told the armed crowd. Hamas's surprise victory in parliamentary elections has plunged Middle East peacemaking deeper into limbo.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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