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Fatah, Hamas Battle in Gaza Threatens Government

In heavy fighting across the Gaza Strip, the latest battles between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have left more than 20 people dead in the past three days, with more than 80 killed in the past month.

Fatah leaders who are loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are now warning that the precarious unity government formed with their rivals from Hamas may not last.

After nearly three days of clashes, hulks of burned-out buses and cars litter main roadways in Gaza City, where gunmen guard makeshift checkpoints at major intersections.

By sundown Tuesday night, the fighting had started anew. Fatah's Presidential Guard began blasting Hamas strongholds along the waterfront in central Gaza City. Soon after, Hamas retaliated.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Eric Westervelt is a San Francisco-based correspondent for NPR's National Desk. He has reported on major events for the network from wars and revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa to historic wildfires and terrorist attacks in the U.S.