DUBAI: Gaza city plunged into chaos as renewed fighting between Palestinian factions left 17 persons dead on Wednesday.

The surge in violence was triggered by an attack on the residence of Rashid Abu Shbak, a top security official linked to the Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr. Shbak was not at his residence at the time, but his four guards were killed. A string of clashes followed this attack.

Meanwhile, the Israeli border town of Sederot came under attack with home-made Palestinian Qassam rockets.

In response, Israeli forces launched two air strikes in Gaza, targeting a car and a building used by the Hamas. Four persons were killed in the attack on the building, which was completely flattened.

By evening, gunfire echoed through the empty streets of Gaza. Residents stayed indoors. Around 50 journalists were trapped inside the main Gaza media centre. The building was repeatedly attacked with small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades.

As the situation deteriorated, Mr. Abbas spoke to Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal, who resides in Damascus. Both the Fatah and the Hamas have called for calm, but despite their utterances, tensions were running high in Gaza. The spurt in factional fighting, which has already claimed 40 lives since Friday, threatens to undermine the Palestinian national unity government.

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