Palestinian breakdown nears as Gaza rages

By mid-afternoon, much of Gaza was reportedly under the control of Hamas gunmen, with pitched street battles continuing in Gaza City near the President's offices and main security headquarters, where Fatah fighters remained entrenched.
Mr Abbas accused Hamas of inciting a coup against his leadership: "All information points to a trend in which some of the political and military leaders of Hamas are planning a coup against the legitimate institutions, thinking they will be able to control the Gaza Strip by force," Mr Abbas' office said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian Prime Minister of Hamas, accused Fatah fighters of "collaboration" with Israel.
Hamas officials have demanded all Palestinian security forces submit to the authority of Mr Haniya, vowing to continue fighting until Hamas controlled the whole of the Gaza Strip.
"Certain parties, collaborating with parties hostile to our people have tried to bring down the government of national unity by force," a Hamas official said.
Sami Abu Zuri, a Hamas spokesman, said "We will not stop until security is restored, under our control. If Fatah decides to quit the government, that is their choice. Hamas will study its position if that happens."
The political posturing came as the worst factional fighting among Palestinians in a month intensified, honing in on leaders of both sides. Earlier today, gunmen fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Mr Haniya's home. Later, mortar shells hit Mr Abbas' Gaza city office.
In the last two days, at least 18 Palestinians have been killed in fighting which has been particularly brutal. Some have been killed in execution-style shootings and others have been thrown off buildings.
Some of the fiercest fighting has taken place at Gaza's main hospitals.
The violence spread quickly to the West Bank today, with Fatah gunmen kidnapping Faidi Shabaneh, a high-ranking Hamas politician from his home in Ramallah.
Meanwhile, terrified Gazans huddled in their homes, schools were cancelled and most shops were closed.
Both sides have described the current conflict as an all-out civil war. Mr Abbas has called a meeting tonight of Fatah's Central Committee to decide its next move: "Fatah will in the coming hours decide its position on staying in the unity government and whether to withdraw its members from parliament," his office said in a statement.