The kidnappings in Gaza took place after factional violence flared on Monday in the West Bank. Pro-Fatah militants set fire to six stores owned by Hamas sympathizers in the town of Ramallah, destroying a large clothing store and a money-changing shop, and opened fire at the house of a Hamas-allied mayor in the nearby town of El-Bireh, according to security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. No one was hurt.
The Ramallah firebombings marked the first time militants have targeted civilians in the West Bank. Up to this week, most of the latest factional fighting has been centered in Gaza, where more than 30 people have been killed in clashes between armed forces loyal to the rival groups.
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