Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Palestinian Gunmen Take Over Power Plant | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, AP – Three dozen gunmen blocked the main road leading to the Israel-Gaza crossing on Monday, exchanging fire with policemen trying to remove them from the area, officials and witnesses said.

Two gunmen and a policeman were wounded.

The firefight erupted along a road Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas needs to use to leave the Gaza Strip. Abbas was scheduled to leave Gaza on Monday morning and head to the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Earlier, two dozen gunmen briefly infiltrated a power plant elsewhere in Gaza, exchanging fire with security forces and wounding two policemen, officials said. Gunmen also briefly entered a hospital near the Gaza town of Khan Younis.

Several of the gunmen were recently hired by the Palestinian security services and demanded their salaries. Others were jobless and seeking employment. The gunmen are affiliated with Abbas’ Fatah Party.

Palestinian gunmen have repeatedly taken over government buildings and offices to press demands for jobs and salaries.