Six Killed After Hamas Forces Open Fire On Largest Fatah Rally In Gaza Since Takeover

At least six Palestinians were killed today when supporters of the Islamist Hamas movement opened fire on activists of the secular Fatah group at a Gaza Strip rally commemorating the death of Yassir Arafat.

At least 130 people were also wounded in the incident, which marked the largest public display of support for Fatah since Hamas took control of the territory in June.

Fatah demonstrators claimed that Hamas security officials began to fire at them in an unprovoked attack, but Hamas said that its police officers - positioned on the rooftops of the city - fired only after protesters threw stones at them and chanted slogans.

After the gunfight broke out, protesters were seen running for cover at street corners. Witnesses said that Hamas gunmen were seen roaming the streets and detained several protesters. Tens of thousands of Fatah supporters were believed to have attended the rally, which took place in a main square of Gaza City.

One witness, identifying himself as Abu Samir, said that Hamas security men had appeared to fire unprovoked at demonstrators. I saw brutality. I saw gunmen shoot at people. I saw them catch a boy and beat him with a stick, he said.

However, Hamas officials claimed that Fatah activists had deliberately provoked the violence. Demonstrators from the secular movement were heard to be chanting Shiite, Shiite at the Hamas police officers posted near by, an allusion to Fatahs claim that Hamas is funded and trained by Iran.

Before the rally, Fatah militants were deployed throughout the area, Ehab Ghussen, a spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry, said. Fatah is responsible for continued incitement against the Palestinian police, and there was a clear attempt to bring back chaos.

Todays outbreak of violence was the largest since Hamas overran the Gaza Strip in June, expelling the security forces of President Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Arafats successor as Fatah leader.

Mr Abbas, who now rules out of the West Bank, has been using the anniversary of Mr Arafat’s death to rally support on the Palestinian streets. The pro-Western leader hopes to isolate Hamas as he moves to relaunch peace talks with Israel at a US-hosted Middle East conference this month.

The Islamist rulers of Gaza have been isolated by the West for refusing to renounce suicide bombings, acknowledge Israels right to exist or recognise previous peace agreements.

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, also moved to prop up Mr Abbas today by announcing in a Parliamentary committee that he was considering releasing several hundred Palestinian prisoners, held in Israeli prisons on security grounds, before the forthcoming peace conference.

“The Prime Minister told the foreign affairs committee that he was considering releasing a large number of prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinians,” an adviser to Mr Olmert told AFP news agency.

He added that Mr Olmert had spoken of releasing “hundreds of prisoners without blood on their hands” - an Israeli reference to prisoners not directly implicated in terrorist attacks on Israelis.

Mr Arafat, regarded by Fatah supporters as the founder of secular Palestinian nationalism, died three years ago aged 75.

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