Palestinian attorney-general’s home hit
A large explosion has ripped through the front of the house of the Palestinian Authority attorney-general in Gaza City, damaging the building but causing no injuries.
The front wall outside the house collapsed and the gate was mangled and charred. It was not clear if Attorney-General Hussein Abu Assi was home at the time of the blast on Monday night.
Abu Assi heads the Palestinian legal system in Gaza and the West Bank.
Palestinian police had no comment on the blast. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion.
Infighting
Gaza has been wracked by lawlessness in recent months.
Palestinian security forces, which have been severely weakened during the nearly five years of fighting with Israel, have clashed with armed fighters during attempts to enforce order.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has made cracking down on the violence a centerpiece of his government, but appears not to have made much headway.
Many of the fighters are loosely associated with Abbas’ ruling Fatah Party, and recent polls have shown the party losing popularity to resistance group Hamas.
Tensions between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have also run high, with security forces twice clashing with Hamas fighters in recent weeks.
The groups in Gaza are jockeying for power ahead of Israel’s withdrawal from the seaside strip later this month.