A member of the Palestinian People's Party (PPP)'s politburo escaped an abduction attempt by unidentified gunmen in Gaza City on Thursday. Walid Al-Awad was with his young daughter, heading to work when the kidnap attempt occurred.He told Ma'an that three unidentified men stopped his car on the pretext of asking for help. As he got out of the car, one of the men aimed a pistol at his neck. His daughter was told to go back home. "This is meant to keep your mouth shut, Walid," the abductors told Al-Awad.
They ran off as crowds gathered to watch the incident. PPP leader Tal'at As-Safadi condemned the abduction attempt describing it as an "attempt to silence the voice of the People's Party which has refused the state of division in the Palestinian political arena, and the military coup in the Gaza Strip."
The People's Party released a statement condemning the incident, describing it as a continuation of the security chaos in the Gaza Strip. They said the assault was preceded with an incitement campaign against Al-Awad and other PPP and officials from the Palestine Liberation Organisation.