A large group of gunmen stormed the Gaza City residence of Moussa Arafat, the Palestinian President's Security Advisor and former Chief of PA Intelligence Service, and assassinated him early Wednesday. According to WAFA, witnesses said that a clash between the attackers and Arafat's bodyguards lasted for 30 minutes. A number of Arafat's bodyguards were wounded, witnesses affirmed.
Witnesses added that at least 20 cars and 100 gunmen cordoned the house of Arafat before storming it and killing the well-known security official. Local sources revealed that the attackers kidnapped Arafat's son Manhal 29, and lead him to an unknown spot.
Moussa, 65, a cousin of the late president, Yasser Arafat, was fired earlier this year by the current Palestinian president.
Moussa Arafat was linked to corruption charges. Last year, his appointment as head of security in the Gaza Strip, sparked two days of violent protests. Palestinians saw that decision as another example of rampant corruption and political cronyism within the Palestinian Authority.
Arafat was a founder of the ruling Fatah movement and was a senior official in the Fatah Revolutionary Council, a top policy-making body. It should be recalled that in 2003 Moussa Arafat escaped an assassination attempt after his office was blasted by a rocket-propelled grenade which injured at least 13 Palestinians.
On Wednesday, President Abbas condemned the assassination, adding the Ministry of Interior will exert the utmost of its efforts to capture the perpetrators and bring them to justice and to release Arafat's son. Abbas' comments came after an urgent meeting of the National Security Council in Gaza Wednesday morning.
On his part, Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of information, Dr. Nabil Sha'ath described the assassination as a "very dangerous crime". Dr. Sha'ath added that the crime is very grave and "will negatively affect us."
