The AP spin in action

Did you know that 17 Palestinians were killed by “infighting” yesterday? Yep. Check it out.

Rival gunmen exchanged fire at two Gaza hospitals on Monday and Cabinet ministers fled their weekly meeting after the government headquarters was caught in the crossfire of a brutal day of infighting that killed 17 Palestinians.

Damn that infighting! It’ll get you every time.

The battles came a day after two militants from the rival Hamas and Fatah factions were dragged onto high-rise rooftops and thrown to their death in a power struggle that appears to be rapidly descending into all-out confrontation.

Ya think? Really? Please, don’t tease us anymore!

After sundown Monday, gunmen, apparently from Hamas, laid siege to the house of Jamal Abu al-Jediyan, the senior Fatah official in northern Gaza. They then dragged him outside and killed him, security officials said. Medics said he was hit by 45 bullets.

Okay, I was wrong about the bullet shortage causing the defenestrations. Obviously, Hamas still has plenty of bullets. But I think they may have made a tactical error here.

Al-Jediyan was a top aide to Gaza Fatah strongman Mohammed Dahlan and al-Jediyan’s brother was also killed, apparently in the same shootout.

Fatah spokesman Maher Mikdad harshly denounced the killing and threatened revenge.

Of course you realize, this means war.

“What is this, if not a war,” he said.

Fatah called on its members to target all Hamas political and military leaders.

I do believe we have a full-blown civil war on our hands. At least, I sure hope so. I wonder how the Saudis are going to get them to kiss and make up this time.