13 May 2007
Suleiman Abdul-Rahim al-Ashi
Shooting
Gunmen wearing presidential guard uniforms stopped a taxi, carrying Suleiman Abdul-Rahim al-Ashi, 25, an economics editor for the Hamas-affiliated daily Palestine, and Mohammad Matar Abdo, 25, a manager responsible for distribution and civic relations, in a high-security area southwest of Gaza City that is controlled by Fatah.
News accounts vary on the ensuing events; the two men were beaten before being shot on a public street. Al-Ashi died at the scene, while Abdo was taken to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City where he died the next day. Al-Ashi and Abdo were scheduled to meet with economic and tourism organizations in Gaza that afternoon. The fledgling Palestine newspaper was launched early this May. The murders come amid clashes in the coastal strip over the previous 24 hours. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that at least six people died and another 52 wounded in fighting between rival Fatah and Hamas militias.
