Battle of Gaza (2007)
| Battle of Gaza | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Fatah–Hamas conflict and Palestinian internal political violence | |||||||||
Map of the Gaza Strip | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Ismail Haniyeh Khaled Mashal |
Mahmoud Abbas Mohammed Dahlan Mohammed Sweirki † | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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Al-Qassam Brigades: 15,000 Executive Police Force: 6,000 Total: ~21,000 |
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades: 3,500+ National Security: 30,000 Preventive Security: 30,000 General Intelligence: 5,000 Presidential Guard: 4,200 Total: 72,700+ | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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At least 161 killed (120 combatants, 39 civilians, 2 UNRWA personnel) 700+ injured | |||||||||
The Battle of Gaza, also known as the Gaza civil war, was a brief civil war between Fatah and Hamas that took place in the Gaza Strip from 10 to 15 June 2007. It was a prominent event in the Fatah–Hamas conflict, centered on the struggle for power after the fall of the National Unity Government between Hamas and Fatah, which was dissolved shortly afterwards. This led to the de facto division of the Palestinian territories into two entities: the West Bank governed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and the Gaza Strip governed by Hamas. Hamas fighters took control of the Gaza Strip, while Fatah officials were either taken as prisoners, executed, or expelled. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported that at least 161 people were killed and more than 700 were wounded during the fighting.