2007年VOA标准英语-Violence Between Hamas, Fatah Factions Threaten

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
01 February 2007

At least four Palestinians were killed Thursday in the Gaza Strip, as violent clashes erupted between the Hamas and Fatah factions¹. The clashes took place just three days after a truce² went into effect between the two factions. VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem, there was also violence in the West Bank, where four Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops.

Clashes began early Thursday, and, by nightfall, there were gunfights reported all over Gaza, as Hamas and Fatah resumed their deadly rivalry³.

 
Hamas militants⁴ take over a Palestinian presidential guard armoured vehicle in Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza Strip, 1 Feb 2007
Heavy fighting began when Hamas militants ambushed⁵ a four-truck convoy⁶ they say was carrying weapons to the Fatah security force of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas militants also lobbed mortar⁷ shells toward Mr. Abbas' Gaza residence, which sparked more fighting.  A Fatah military post was attacked by Hamas and destroyed in Gaza City. Earlier in the day, a Hamas spokesman was attacked as he drove to work.

On Tuesday, both sides said they would honor an Egyptian-brokered truce to end a week of heavy fighting that had left more than 30 people dead. Both sides also said they supported an effort by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to find a long-term solution to the power struggle between Fatah and Hamas.

 
Saeb Erekat (26 Jan 2007)
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator in talks with Israelis, says the violence must be contained, or Palestinians could slip into civil war.

He said, "It is a pressure-cooker situation. I think, this is the most dangerous development in Palestinian modern history. If this bout⁸ of general fighting continues, it means we will not be worrying about the Palestinian cause, but the Palestinians' social, economic and political fabric⁹ will be destroyed."

"I think, the essence here is to understand that, without reinstating the rule of law, the one authority, the one legal gun [one Palestinian security service], we are going to be doomed," he continued.

Since Tuesday, Gazans took advantage of the lull¹⁰ in fighting to return to work and shop for daily necessities. Life in much of the Gaza Strip had ground to a halt during the past week, as gunmen from Fatah and Hamas militias¹¹ fought pitched battles and seized hostages from each other's communities.

It has been the worst outbreak of inter-Palestinian violence since Hamas took control of the Palestinian Authority last year, after winning legislative¹² elections.

Meanwhile, Israeli-Palestinian clashes in the West Bank continued. Israeli troops shot and killed two militants they say belonged to the al-Aqsa Martyrs¹³ Brigade, which is one of two groups that claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing Monday in the Israeli resort city of Eilat.

Israel troops also shot and killed a man they say was evading¹⁴ arrest in the West Bank. Additionally, a Palestinian teenager was shot and killed near Israel's separation barrier. Israeli troops also shot and wounded a Palestinian man early Thursday near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip.

1 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

2 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

3 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

7 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

8 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

9 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

10 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

11 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

12 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

13 martyrs   

n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）

参考例句：

• the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者
• They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 evading   

逃避( evade的现在分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出

参考例句：

• Segmentation of a project is one means of evading NEPA. 把某一工程进行分割，是回避《国家环境政策法》的一种手段。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Too many companies, she says, are evading the issue. 她说太多公司都在回避这个问题。