Gaza viewpoint

Mona al-Farra is a mother and doctor living in Gaza. She also blogs: From Gaza, with Love.

Mona is one of thousands of Palestinians staying indoors to escape the crossfire of Fatah and Hamas gunmen.

I live very close to the presidential office.

It was attacked continuously overnight and we didn't sleep at all.

We were all on the floor, because we don't like to get too close to the windows.

We are staying at home, listening to the local broadcasts from Hamas and Fatah. There is no electricity.

Both sides are describing things from their own point of view; exchanging insults; mobilising supporters.

I have always said civil war couldn't exist here, but it's getting close

Yesterday we almost got caught up in it.

I was visiting my mother in Khan Younis with my sister, a friend and her niece. It was my mother's 85th birthday.

As we drove back, lots of armed men from both sides appeared on the streets. They were wearing masks, which was scary. Hamas supporters wear green bandanas.

It was all just starting and they were shouting at us: "Hurry up! Hurry up!"

I stopped at one of their checkpoints and said to one of them: "For God's sake, don't start shooting at each other."

But he just shouted: "Go, go, go!". They were very tense.

I have never seen things like this before in Gaza.

I have always said civil war couldn't exist here, but it's getting close.

I am also very disturbed because I am separated from my youngest daughter.

She was at her older sister's house, just half a mile away, when the violence started yesterday. So now she's stuck there.

It is too risky to go outside.