JERUSALEM, Dec. 13 — In renewed fighting among Palestinians, gunmen forced a prominent Hamas militant to his knees on Wednesday, then shot him dead outside a courthouse where he worked, in the southern Gaza Strip.Hamas, the militant Islamic group that leads the Palestinian government, said a “death squad” from the rival Fatah faction was responsible for the killing of the militant, Bassam al-Farra, in Khan Yunis. Fatah denied involvement.
The shooting occurred just two days after unidentified gunmen in Gaza City killed three sons, ages 3 to 9, of Baha Balousha, a senior Palestinian security officer and Fatah member. “This is a very dangerous situation,” said Fauzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman. “There has been an escalation in the violence and the chaos.”