Gunmen kill former PA security chief Moussa Arafat in his home

Dozens of gunmen stormed the Gaza City home of former Gaza security chief Moussa Arafat before dawn Wednesday and shot him dead in the street outside, witnesses said. Arafat, 65, a cousin of late Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat was fired earlier this year by the new PA chairman, Mahmoud Abbas. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the killing. Moussa Arafat had been linked to corruption charges and had many powerful enemies, and it was thought that his killing was related to internal conflicts. Gunmen with rifles and anti-tank grenades battled the guards at Arafat’s house for more than 30 minutes before storming in and pulling him outside, witnesses said. His oldest son, Nimhel, who is a senior security official, was either kidnapped or escaped, police at the scene said. An Associated Press Television News cameraman saw Moussa Arafat’s body being taken from the house to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, but bodyguards prevented him from taking pictures. Police cordoned off the area and gathered evidence. There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian Authority, but a spokesman said a statement would be issued later Wednesday. At dawn Wednesday, Abbas called an emergency meeting of his security commanders and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia. The brazen killing was certain to shake Palestinian politics. Arafat was a founder of the ruling Fatah movement and was a senior official in the Fatah Revolutionary Council, a top policy-making body. The council had been scheduled to meet later Wednesday. BPI-info