NABLUS, West Bank, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Fears that fighting between rival Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip will spread to the West Bank has nearly doubled the price of guns and ammunition.
The man who claims to be the No. 1 arms dealer in the West Bank says in recent months the price of an M-16 short-barrel rifle has increased to almost $13,000 with bullets selling for just more than $1, The Washington Times reports.
Abu Ali, who uses a pseudonym for fear of arrest, says he acquires guns from Arab Israelis as well as dealers from Israel's criminal underworld.
"Hamas is buying a lot of weapons and they will pay anything for them," says Ali, a member of the Fatah-linked Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
Since Hamas took over the Palestinian Authority last March, tension between Hamas and Fatah-affiliated militias has often exploded into street warfare.
Speculation that Hamas wants to establish its own security force in the West Bank is reportedly fueling concern that internecine fighting in Gaza may spread to the West Bank where Fatah is dominant.
