Gaza gunmen kill Hamas commander

12:18 p.m.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Palestinian gunmen forced a Hamas commander to his knees and shot him to death early today outside the courthouse where he worked as an Islamic judge. The shooting escalated factional tensions in the Gaza Strip and prompted the Palestinian prime minister to cut short a trip abroad.

The death came two days after three young sons of a Fatah-allied Palestinian intelligence officer were killed in a drive-by shooting, sparking renewed conflict between the rival Hamas and Fatah factions. The violence has reduced chances for a unity government and pushed the two sides closer to civil war.

Palestinian security officials said the slain man was Bassam al-Fara, 30, a judge at the Islamic court and a Hamas commander who belongs to the largest clan in the town of Khan Younis.

In a statement faxed to reporters, Hamas accused a Fatah “death squad” for Mr. al-Fara’s death.

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said the dead man had been a field commander in Hamas’ military wing and a prominent figure in the militant Islamic group. He pledged to hunt down the killers. “Hamas is not going to forget the blood of its members,” Mr. Barhoum said.

Fatah spokesman Tawfik Abu Khoussa rejected the accusations. “We condemn all acts of anarchy, whatever may be behind them. We call on the brothers in Hamas to stop firing accusations before the investigation,” he said.

In Sudan, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas official, said he would return to Gaza tomorrow, cutting short a trip to Arab and Muslim countries, including Iran and Syria. Mr. Haniyeh left Gaza on Nov. 28 on what was expected to be a monthlong trip.

Mr. Haniyeh dismissed fears of the violence in Gaza escalating into a civil war.

“We want to assure you that words such as ‘civil war’ don’t exist in our dictionary. They don’t exist in our makeup, in our culture,” Mr. Haniyeh said in Khartoum, Sudan.

Witnesses to the shooting today said four gunmen calmly ate breakfast at a food stand as they waited for Mr. al-Fara outside the courthouse. When he emerged from a taxi, three of the men grabbed him and forced him onto his knees, while the fourth shot him. The attack left the sidewalk riddled with bullet holes. The witnesses declined to be identified, fearing for their safety.

Fatah and Hamas have been locked in a power struggle since Hamas ousted Fatah in parliamentary elections. More than 40 Gazans have died in battles between the two groups since Hamas took power in March.

Seeking to end the standoff, Mr. Abbas has been trying to persuade Hamas to join Fatah in a national unity government, but the talks broke down late last month. Tensions heightened after Mr. Abbas announced plans over the weekend to call early elections, drawing Hamas accusations that he is plotting a coup.

The latest round of violence was sparked by the deaths Monday of the three young sons of Baha Balousheh, an intelligence officer and Fatah loyalist who helped lead a crackdown on Hamas a decade ago. Mr. Balousheh, who was not in the car, escaped two previous Hamas assassination attempts.

Hamas denied involvement in the boys’ deaths.