Infighting…Second Palestinian Nakba

"The Palestinian blood is no more a red line," el-Zahrana told IOL. (Reuters)

"We are living a second Nakba that of infighting and feuding clashes," Saad el-Zahrana told IslamOnline.net, trying to control his anger.

"The Palestinian blood is no more a red line," he lamented.

Eight security officers in the Fatah-dominated security services were killed Tuesday in an attack on a presidential guard camp near the main goods terminal between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Earlier on Tuesday, a member of Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, was shot dead when unknown gunmen ambushed a minibus carrying fighters from the unit.

The latest fatalities bring to 17 the number of Palestinians killed and more than 60 wounded since Sunday in the deadliest bout of infighting in months.

Despite repeated promises from Palestinian leaders, security services have proved incapable of imposing law and order in the increasingly chaotic territory where kidnappings, clan clashes and factional feuding are rife.

The infighting came as Palestinians marked the annual Nakba Day which marks the creation of Israel on the rubble of Palestine and bodies of the Palestinians.

On April 18, 1948, Palestinian Tiberius was captured by Menachem Begin's Irgun group, putting its 5,500 Palestinian residents in flight. On April 22, Haifa fell to the Zionist mobs and 70,000 Palestinians fled.

On April 25, Irgun began bombarding civilian sectors of the Palestinian city of Jaffa - the largest city in Palestine at that time, terrifying the 750,000 inhabitants into panicky flight.

On May 14, the day before the creation of Israel, Jaffa completely surrendered to the much better-equipped Zionist gangs and only about 4,500 of its population remained.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) estimates that there are now 5 million Palestinian refugees, including 1.4 million living in refugee camps inside the Palestinian territories.

Bleeding  

Since the loss of Palestine, the number of refugees has hit 5 million Palestinians. (Reuters)

Lay Palestinians lamented that instead of being united in the fight against the Israeli occupation, Fatah and Hamas fighters were on each other's throat.

"Instead of being united by the loss of our country, homes and properties, we are now making business of killing one another and trading accusations," cried Um Khaled.

"Only the sound of bullets and gunfire is resonating across our cities and streets."

The almost deserted streets of Gaza City were Tuesday void of the annual massive marches and rallies to mark Nakba Day.

Over the past 58 years Palestinians inside the occupied territories and refugees across the globe used to go out en masse to protest the loss of their homeland and demand to be allowed back into their homes in what is today Israel.

Thousands of Palestinians are still keeping keys and title deeds of their homes, passing the legacy from one generation to the other.

"On the Nakba Day all we are thinking of is to escape death haunting us in the streets and even inside our homes," fumed Samer Yunis, a university student.

"There is no hope of a real ceasefire or genuine national consensus."

Prime Minister Ismail Haniya chaired Monday night a meeting of Hamas and Fatah leaders who agreed to end infighting and withdrew fighters from the streets.

Monday's fatalities prove the agreement remains ink on paper.

"How long can we tolerate the panic and horror in the eyes' of our kids?" asked one angry Gazan.

"What have we done to deserve living in constant fear?"

Many Palestinian kids were too terrified to venture out of their home and mark the loss of their homeland.

"I hope things would calm down so that we can go out and mark the Nakba Day," said Baha Abd el-Al, 8. "We only want Palestinian unity."

His sister Maha had the same wish.

"Why not stand united?" she asked.

"Aren't we suffering enough from the Israeli occupation?"