Battle of Gaza
Part of the Fatah-Hamas conflict
The Gaza Strip
Date June 7 – June 15, 2007 Location Gaza Strip Result Hamas victory
Combatants
Hamas	Fatah
Casualties
22 killed	77 killed
17 non-combatants killed,[1][2] including 2 UN personnel[3]

The Battle of Gaza (Arabic: معركة غزّة) was a military conflict between Hamas and Fatah which took place between June 7 and June 15, 2007 in the Gaza Strip. It resulted in Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip.^{[citation needed]} The ICRC estimated that over 550 people were wounded and at least 118 killed during the fighting in the week up to 15 June.^[4] Combatants Hamas Fatah Commanders Ismail Haniya Khaled Meshaal Mohammed Deif Mahmoud Abbas Mohammed Dahlan Strength Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades: 15,000 Executive Force: 6,000[1][2] National Security: 30,000 Police and Preventive Security: 30,000 General Intelligence: 5,000 Presidential Guard: 4,200 Al Aqsa Martyrs... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Hamas (Arabic: ; acronym: Arabic: , or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement,[1]) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization. ... Hamas Logo from the Hamas web site: www. ... Hamas (Arabic: ; acronym: Arabic: , or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement,[1]) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization. ... The Fatah official emblem shows two fists holding rifles and a hand grenade superimposed on a map of the land they claimed as Palestine (roughly, the present State of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). ... Fatah (Arabic: ); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major secular Palestinian political party and the largest organization in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a generally secular multi-party confederation. ... Combatants Hamas Fatah Commanders Ismail Haniya Khaled Meshaal Mohammed Deif Mahmoud Abbas Mohammed Dahlan Strength Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades: 15,000 Executive Force: 6,000[1][2] National Security: 30,000 Police and Preventive Security: 30,000 General Intelligence: 5,000 Presidential Guard: 4,200 Al Aqsa Martyrs... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... For other uses of War, see War (disambiguation). ... Hamas (Arabic: ; acronym: Arabic: , or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement,[1]) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization. ... Fatah (Arabic: ); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major secular Palestinian political party and the largest organization in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a generally secular multi-party confederation. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Since the Battle of Gaza (2007), the Gaza Strip is no longer under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, placing it under the lead of Hamas, the political rival of Fatah. ... The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Background

Main article: Fatah-Hamas conflict

Conflict between Fatah and Hamas broke out in December 2006, when the two parties tried to assume political control of the Palestinian Territories. Most of the fighting happened in the Gaza Strip. Combatants Hamas Fatah Commanders Ismail Haniya Khaled Meshaal Mohammed Deif Mahmoud Abbas Mohammed Dahlan Strength Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades: 15,000 Executive Force: 6,000[1][2] National Security: 30,000 Police and Preventive Security: 30,000 General Intelligence: 5,000 Presidential Guard: 4,200 Al Aqsa Martyrs... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. ...

Attacks

After the re-ignition of the Fatah-Hamas conflict on June 10, Hamas militants seized several Fatah members and threw one of them, Mohammed Sweirki, an officer in the elite Palestinian Presidential Guard, off the top of the tallest building in Gaza, a 15-storey apartment building. In retaliation, Fatah militants attacked and killed the imam of the city's largest mosque, Mohammed al-Rifati. They also opened fire on the home of Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. Just before midnight, a Hamas militant was thrown off a 12-storey building.^[5] Combatants Hamas Fatah Commanders Ismail Haniya Khaled Meshaal Mohammed Deif Mahmoud Abbas Mohammed Dahlan Strength Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades: 15,000 Executive Force: 6,000[1][2] National Security: 30,000 Police and Preventive Security: 30,000 General Intelligence: 5,000 Presidential Guard: 4,200 Al Aqsa Martyrs... June 10 is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Fatah (Arabic: ); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major secular Palestinian political party and the largest organization in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a generally secular multi-party confederation. ... Not to be confused with the Spanish name Garza or the Egyptian town of Giza. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ismail Haniya (more frequently Haniyeh) (born 1963) (Arabic: إسماعيل هنية) is the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. ...

On June 11, the residences of both Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah's leader and the Palestinian Authority president, and of then-Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, of Hamas, were targeted with gun and shell fire.^[6] June 11 is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Mahmoud Abbas (Arabic: ) (born March 26, 1935), commonly known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن), was elected President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on January 9, 2005, and took office on January 15, 2005. ... The President of the Palestinian National Authority is the highest-ranking political position (equivalent to head of state) in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). ... The Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority is the head of government of the Palestinian government. ... Ismail Haniya (more frequently Haniyeh) (born 1963) (Arabic: إسماعيل هنية) is the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. ...

On June 12, Hamas began attacking posts held by their Fatah faction rivals. Hundreds of Hamas fighters had moved on the positions after giving their occupants two hours to leave.^{[citation needed]} Hamas (Arabic: ; acronym: Arabic: , or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement,[1]) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization. ...

A major Fatah base in the northern town of Jabaliya fell to Hamas fighters, witnesses told AFP news agency. Heavy fighting also raged around the main Fatah headquarters in Gaza City, with Hamas militants attacking with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons.^[6] Jabalia (Arabic: جباليا), with a registered population of 103,646 inhabitants (as of June 30 2002), is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in existence. ...

Fatah fighters were paraded by Hamas through Gaza City after their surrender on June 14, 2007

On June 13, Hamas seized the headquarters of the Fatah-controlled National Security Forces in northern Gaza. Gunmen fought for control of high-rise buildings serving as sniper positions and Hamas said it had bulldozed a Fatah outpost controlling Gaza's main north-south road. Also on that day, an explosion wrecked the Khan Younis headquarters of the Fatah-linked Preventive Security force, killing five people.^[3] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The article is about the Middle Eastern city. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Khan Yunis (Arabic: خان يونس) is a city/refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. ...

On June 14, Hamas gunmen completed the takeover of the central building of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service's headquarters in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas members took over vehicles and weapons in the compound, which was considered the Palestinian Authority's main symbol in the Strip. The Preventive Security Service cooperated with Israel in the past, and has been armed by the United States.^[7] It is identified with Fatah strongman Mohammed Dahlan, who has become a hated figure by the Islamists in Gaza.^[7] The gunmen who entered the compound held a prayer there and waved a flag on the building's rooftop. At least 10 people were killed. Hamas TV broadcast a display of weapons inside the building, as well as jeeps, mortar shells and bulletproof vests seized in the compound, which according to Hamas, were smuggled to Fatah by Israel and the Americans in the past few months through the border with Egypt.^[8] Mohammed Dahlan is a Palestinian, born in 1961 in a refugee camp in Khan Younis. ... Jeep is an automobile marque (and registered trademark) of DaimlerChrysler. ... Mortar has several meanings: Mortar (weapon) fires shells at a much lower velocity and higher ballistic arc than other ordnance Paintball mortar fires paintballs or water balloons filled with paint Mortar (masonry), material used in masonry to fill the gaps between bricks and bind them together Mortar (firestop), hydraulic cementitious... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Hamas members held a prayer in the compound, which they referred to as the "heresy compound." Hamas also changed the name of the neighborhood where the building is located from "Tel al-Hawa" to "Tel al-Islam."^[8]

On the afternoon of June 14, the Associated Press reported an explosion that rocked Gaza City. According to Fatah officials, security forces withdrew from their post and blew it up in order to not let Hamas take it over. The security forces afterwards repositioned to another location. Later on June 14, Hamas also took control of the southern Gaza Strip city Rafah which lies near an, already closed, border crossing with Egypt, which is monitored by Israeli, Palestinian and European Union security forces. The EU staff had, at that time, already been relocated to the Israeli city of Ashkelon for safety reasons. ^[9] On June 14th Abbas dissolved the Palestinian-Hamas unity government, on June 15th, Gaza completed the control over Gaza.[1] June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... The article is about the Middle Eastern city. ... Rafah (Arabic: رفح Hebrew: רפיח) is a town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border, and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border, on the Sinai Peninsula. ... Hebrew אַשְׁקְלוֹן (Standard) AÅ¡qÉ™lon Arabic عسقلان Founded in 1951 Government City Also Spelled Ashqelon (officially) District South Population 105,100 (2004) Jurisdiction 55,000 dunams (55 km²) Mayor Roni Mahatzri Ashkelon (Hebrew: ‎; Tiberian Hebrew ʾAÅ¡qÉ™lôn; Arabic: ‎  ; Latin: Ascalon) is a city in the western Negev, in the...

Violations of international law

Human Rights Watch accused both sides with violations of international humanitarian law, in some cases amounting to war crimes.^[11] The accusations include the targeting and killing of civilians, public executions of political opponents and captives, throwing prisoners off high-rise apartment buildings, fighting in hospitals, and shooting from a jeep marked with "TV" insignias.^[10] The International Committee of the Red Cross has denounced attacks in and around two hospitals in the northern part of the Gaza strip.^[12] Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ...

During the fighting several incidents of looting took place: a crowd took furniture, wall tiles and personal belongings from the villa of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat;^[13] the home of former Fatah strongman Mohammed Dahlan was also looted: "An AFP correspondent witnessed dozens of Palestinians taking everything they could carry from Dahlan's villa - furniture, pot plants and even the kitchen sink, complete with plumbing fixtures such as taps,";^[14] and at the Muntada, Abbas's seafront presidential compound, witnesses reported seeing Hamas fighters remove computers, documents and guns.^[14] Mohammed Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004; Arabic: ), popularly known as Yasser Arafat, was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (1968–2004) and President[2] of the Palestinian National Authority (1993–2004). ... Mohammed Dahlan is a Palestinian, born in 1961 in a refugee camp in Khan Younis. ...

Israel human rights organization B'tselem issued a call to Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip to bring to trial those responsible for war crimes[2] BTselem (Hebrew: , in the image of, as in Genesis 1:27) is an Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO) that describes itself as The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. ... In the context of war, a war crime is a punishable offense under International Law, for violations of the laws of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ...

Aftermath

Political consequences

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the dissolution of the current unity government and the declaration of a state of emergency.^[15][16] Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has been dismissed, and Abbas rules Gaza and the West Bank by presidential decree. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri responded by declaring that President Abbas' decision was "in practical terms...worthless", asserting that Mr. Haniya "remains the head of the government even if it was dissolved by the president".^[17] The President of the Palestinian National Authority is the highest-ranking political position (equivalent to head of state) in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). ... Mahmoud Abbas (Arabic: ) (born March 26, 1935), commonly known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن), was elected President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on January 9, 2005, and took office on January 15, 2005. ... In parliamentary systems, a dissolution of parliament is the dispersal of a legislature at the call of an election. ... A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, may work to alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or may order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. ... The Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority is the head of government of the Palestinian government. ... Ismail Haniya (more frequently Haniyeh) (born 1963) (Arabic: إسماعيل هنية) is the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. ... Sami Abu Zuhri a senior Palestinian spokesman for Hamas was catapulted to notoriety 19 May 2006 when European monitors discovered he had about 900,000 euros concealed in his clothing at a routine border crossing from Egypt to Gaza. ...

As a result of the conflict, the territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority is de facto divided into two entities: the Gaza Strip Government, controlled by Hamas, and the West Bank, governed by the Palestinian National Authority.^{[citation needed]} The West Bank The Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) is a semi-autonomous state institution nominally governing the bulk of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which it calls the Palestinian Territories). It was established as a part of Oslo accords between the PLO and Israel. ... Since the Battle of Gaza (2007), the Gaza Strip is no longer under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, placing it under the lead of Hamas, the political rival of Fatah. ... Anthem: Biladi Capital Ramallah and Gaza de facto, as the current location of government institutions. ...

On 18 June, key international powers, including the EU, US and Israel showed public support for the new administration without Hamas. The EU and US normalized the tie to the Palestinian National Authority and resumed direct aid. Israel announced it would return frozen tax revenue of about USD800m to the new administration. ^[18]

During the fighting, 6,000 Palestinians fled across the Egyptian border. They have been stranded on the Egyptian side of Rafah there since Hamas took power and cannot return to the Gaza Strip without fear of being open-fired upon by Hamas gunmen. Israeli and Egyptian diplomats are currently working to convince Hamas to allow these Palestinians to peacefully use the Kerem Shalom crossing to return home, but as of July 5, 2007, Hamas insists that if the crossing is "opened they would attack the crossing with mortars and gunfire, even at the price of killing thousands of Palestinians."^[19] Rafah (Arabic: رفح Hebrew: רפיח) is a town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border, and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border, on the Sinai Peninsula. ... Kerem Shalom is a kibbutz and border crossing near the Gaza-Israel-Egyptian border. ...

Religious consequences

A Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Fouzi Barhoum, said earlier that Hamas was imposing Islamic law in Gaza but this was denied by exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.^[20] Khaled Mashal, also known as Khaled Mashaal (b. ...

Sheik Abu Saqer, leader of Jihadia Salafiya, an Islamic outreach movement that recently announced the opening of a "military wing" to enforce Muslim law in Gaza. "I expect our Christian neighbors to understand the new Hamas rule means real changes. They must be ready for Islamic rule if they want to live in peace in Gaza." ^[21] The warning comes two days after a church and Christian school in Gaza were attacked following the seizure of power in the territory by Hamas.

Military consequences

Hamas has captured thousands of small arms and eight armored combat vehicles supplied by the United States,^[22] Egypt, and Jordan^[23] to the Palestinian Authority.

According to Muhammad Abdel-El of the Hamas-allied Popular Resistance Committees, Hamas and its allies have captured quantities of foreign intelligence, including CIA files. He is quoted as saying that they are "more important than all the American weapons we obtained the last two days." Abu Abdullah of Hamas' "military wing", the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, claims Hamas will make portions of the documents public, in a stated attempt to expose covert relations between the United States and "traitor" Arab countries.^[24] The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) are a Palestinian militant network which operates in the Gaza Strip and are regarded as terrorist organizations by Israel and the United States. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Hamas, acronym of Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Arabic: Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas is also Arabic for zeal or courage) is a Palestinian Islamist paramilitary and political organization, regarded by some as a militant organization and by others as a terrorist group. ...

While Hamas collected most of the 15,000 weapons registered to the former security forces, it failed to collect more than a fraction of the 400,000 weapons that are in the hands of various clans, and said that it would not touch weapons used for fighting Israel, only those that might be used against it.^[25]

Notes

June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Australian (informally referred to as The Oz) is a national daily broadsheet newspaper published by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli newspaper in the English language. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Haaretz (Hebrew: (help· info), The Land) is an Israeli newspaper, founded in 1919. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

June 7 2007, Fatah man killed, beginning of the conflict

• In pictures: Hamas takes Gaza (BBC)