GAZA CITY, 3 March 2004 — Smashed computer screens and fragments of destroyed printers still testify to the wrecking of the Gaza City offices of the Palestinian newspaper Ad-Dar in February.

“They stole nothing from the office,” said Hassan Kashef, the editor in chief of the newspaper which was launched last year, adding that the cost of the repairs was around $15,000.

For Kashef, a respected analyst in Gaza, there is no doubt the raid on his offices was a warning following articles his newspaper published on corruption in the Palestinian Authority. The attackers got what they wanted since Kashef decided to temporarily stop printing his weekly journal.

While nobody was hurt in the raid, Khalil Ziban was not so lucky. This 59-year-old journalist, who was also a close adviser to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, was killed on March 2, shot 12 times by unidentified gunmen.

Those were only the two latest occurrences of attacks against the press in the Gaza Strip.

The authorities issued a statement announcing that an investigation has been opened, but no arrest was made and few believe there ever will be. The code of silence and fear prevail in the streets of Gaza. “As long as the culprits are very well known, they remain unknown,” said one commentator with a wry smile, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Everybody knows who they are but they are too powerful to fear any action against them. Tawfiq Abu Khusa, the deputy chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Association, says these attacks are “most likely” linked to divisions in Arafat’s ruling Fatah party.

While the Islamist movement Hamas has been gaining popularity, Fatah has been torn by a bitter power struggle chiefly between the various security services.

But the conflict is particularly acute in the Gaza Strip because of the announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of his intention to pull out of the territory.

The March 22 assassination by Israel of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin appears to have calmed the feuding but everyone agrees that this respite is only temporary. “The main bone of contention centers around the nature of change at the heart of Fatah,” said Abu Khusa, who is himself a member of the organization and who writes regularly for Ad-Dar.

“Some people are in favor of change within Fatah. Others are against. And some want change — but not now,” he added.

“The most recent attacks against journalists were not only against journalists”, but against journalists “with a point of view”, he said.

The explanation of recent acts of violence lies, in general opinion, on the paralysis and lack of democracy within Fatah. “The officials never change, nor do the heads of the security services,” said one senior observer speaking on condition of anonymity.

Some members of Fatah are pushing for the holding of a general assembly and internal elections in order to finally inject some fresh blood into the leadership which has been in place for the last two decades. However for the moment, Arafat has opposed such a move.

“There are no sanctions for them if they make errors,” said the observer, adding that change when it comes “will not be peaceful.” Kashef says he is determined for his paper to return to the newsstands but only when he can be sure of his staff’s safety.”

“I am responsible for 15 people”, he said. “Without a guarantee that nobody will take action against them it would not be wise to resume publication.”

“But they know that they cannot silence me.”

Meanwhile, anonymous leaflets have been distributed in the West Bank town of Hebron over the past few days calling on the local Palestinian population to quit “the land of Israel” voluntarily.

Witnesses said the leaflets had been first dropped by a light airplane flying over the area. Written in Arabic, the leaflets say that “it is written in the Torah that the land of Israel belongs only to the Jewish people and no one else has the right to live here on a permanent basis.”

“We are calling on you to leave the land of Israel,” adding that “there are other large countries in which you can live.”