Masked Palestinian gunmen have stormed into a club for United Nations (UN) workers in Gaza City and blown up the drinking hall, in a new sign of growing unrest in the chaotic territory. Visitors had already left the club, one of the few places that alcohol is served in conservative Muslim Gaza, when the gunmen tied up the security guard and set explosives that blew out windows and ripped up the roof. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. It was the first such attack in Gaza on a UN target and came against a backdrop of increasing unease among foreigners in Gaza. The United Nations is generally viewed with sympathy in the Gaza Strip. Its agency supporting Palestinian refugees is among the biggest employers in the territory. The club that was blown up is on the beachfront close to hotels where most foreign visitors stay.
Chaos has been increasing in the Gaza Strip since the departure of Israeli troops in September after 38 years of occupation intensified a power struggle among militant factions, gangs and security forces. The disorder has worsened in the run-up to a January 25 parliamentary election.