Palestinian armed groups start gunfight at a militant’s funeral (VIDEO)

13 Dec, 2021 08:31

At least three people were killed and several others wounded after rival Palestinian armed groups Hamas and Fatah clashed during a funeral at a refugee camp in Lebanon on Sunday.

Fatah gunmen “shot at the funeral procession” at the Burj el-Shemali camp, outside the southern port city of Tyre, Hamas official Raafat al-Murra said.

At least three Hamas members were killed in the attack, while six people were wounded, according to al-Murra. Some local media outlets put the death toll at four.

Footage from the scene showed panicking people fleeing to safety, with the sound of intense gunfire audible in the background.

A large crowd had gathered to bury a Hamas member, who died in an explosion that rocked the camp on Friday.

The group said the blast had been caused by an electrical fault at a warehouse storing oxygen for Covid-19 patients.

However, reports in Israeli media and elsewhere insisted that it was actually an arms depot that blew up.

Despite both claiming to strive for an independent Palestinian state, Hamas and Fatah have been in conflict since 2007.

Back then, Hamas took control of Gaza after a week of deadly fighting, while Fatah remained active in the West Bank and Palestinian refugee camps in the region.

Around 192,000 Palestinian refugees currently reside in 12 refugee camps in Lebanon, according to UN data.

An agreement prevents the Lebanese military from operating at those facilities, with security inside provided by the Palestinian factions.