Gunmen dragged former Palestinian-security chief Moussa Arafat from his Gaza home this mornign and shot him dead in the street, fuelling fears of further turmoil ahead of Israel's final troop withdrawal from the occupied territory.
Palestinian police stand near the blood stained road where former chief of military intelligence Senior Major General Mussa Arafat was killed by unknown gunmen today.
He is the most senior Palestinian figure killed in internal violence that has raised doubts over the ability of security forces to keep order in a possible power struggle for the Strip - seen as a testing ground for statehood once Israel leaves.
The major-general, a cousin to late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, was a local strongman who had retained an advisory role to President Mahmoud Abbas after being fired as head of military intelligence in April.
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.
Police said they were also investigating reports that Moussa Arafat's son had been kidnapped in the raid.
Blood spattered the street outside the house. Doctors said Arafat was dead on arrival at Gaza's main al-Quds hospital.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.
Arafat had never shied from using an iron fist and had many enemies. Those foes came from within the ruling Fatah movement as well as the armed factions that dominate many of Gaza's streets after five years of an uprising against Israel.
He had survived several previous assassination attempts.