Occupied Palestinian Territories: Torn apart by factional strife

Occupied Palestinian Territories: Torn apart by factional strife

Index Number: MDE 21/020/2007
Date Published: 24 October 2007
Categories: Middle East And North Africa, Palestinian Authority

In the past year fighting between security forces and armed groups loyal to the two main Palestinian political parties - Fatah and Hamas - caused the deaths of many unarmed bystanders. This lawlessness is to a large extent the result of the prolonged failure of the Palestinian Authority to enforce the law, to curb the proliferation of unlicensed weapons, and to hold both armed groups and members of the PA security forces accountable for their crimes. This document reports Amnesty International's concerns about both sides in the inter-factional political violence, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.