GAZA (PIC)– Armed men affiliated with Fatah faction kidnapped on Wednesday Palestinian academician Hamdan Al-Sofi of the Islamic University while returning from a nearby mosque to his home in Gaza city.
The kidnapping of Al-Sofi who is a known member of Hamas Movement is viewed as a “flagrant” violation of the Palestinian national harmony on the part of Fatah faction.
According to eyewitnesses the kidnappers boarded a blue Golf car and forced the professor into it at gunpoint before fleeing the place.
“It is indeed regrettable to see a group of vandals unpleased with the Palestinian unity tamper with the Palestinian people’s future and strive hard to fuel tension anew in the Palestinian arena” Ayman Taha the representative of Hamas in the Hamas-Fatah joint office asserted.
He also added “This is an unjustified act on the part of people we know very well their names and their political affiliations”.
In an apparent bid to avert an untoward escalation due to the incident Taha urged Fatah faction mother movement of the kidnappers to exert all possible efforts to release Al-Sofi immediately.
In a related matter a Fatah fighter was killed when an RPG projectile he was carrying exploded before firing it at a house of Hamas member in Beit Lahia city Palestinian hospital sources affirmed. The killed Fatah cadre was identified as Rami Soror 23.
Armed wing of Hamas the Qassam Brigades denied involvement in the killing of Soror.
Spokesman of the Brigades Abu Obaida explained that Fatah fighters atop house of Fatah senior leader Sameeh Al-Madhoun fired at a nearby home of one of the Hamas cadres prompting armed clashes.
Yet Abu Obaida added Soror attempted to unleash an RPG projectile at the house but the projectile untimely exploded killing him and wounding a number of his comrades beside him. Prudent figures from both factions were reportedly trying to contain and stop the clashes.
