GAZA CITY, 13 November 2007 — Hamas gunmen killed at least seven people when they opened fire at a mass Fatah rally commemorating the death of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat here yesterday. At least 130 people were injured, hospital officials and Fatah said.
A sea of yellow Fatah flags had filled a Gaza square for the biggest gathering held by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ party in the territory since Hamas routed its fighters there in June. The rare Fatah rally broke up in chaos after gunfire rang out and grew into what Hamas described as battles with the rival group’s fighters, forcing even members of the crowd who had initially stood their ground to bolt for cover.
According to witnesses, trouble began when some in the crowd threw stones at members of the executive force of Hamas and Ezzeddin Al-Qassam Brigades, shouting “Shiite, Shiite”, accusing them of being a proxy for Iran and its ally Syria.
Fatah officials accused Hamas forces of opening fire from the nearby Islamic University. Hamas said its men had come under attack from Fatah gunmen and returned fire.
Hamas has banned opposition rallies since its takeover of the territory but any move to prevent a remembrance ceremony for Arafat would have been widely unpopular among Palestinians.
“The people came out today into the streets to say ‘no’ to Hamas,” said senior Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan, a former security chief in the Gaza Strip and now based in the occupied West Bank, where his faction holds sway.
“I call on Fatah in Gaza to continue pursuing peaceful means in confronting Hamas. I know many people in Gaza don’t like this because emotions are running high but popular means are the only way to bring the downfall of this fascist movement,” he said.
In the West Bank, Israel arrested two Palestinian members of Parliament from Hamas. Mariam Saleh, a mother of seven, was arrested in the town of Al-Bireh near Ramallah, and her colleague Khaled Tafesh was arrested in Bethlehem further south.
Palestinian security officials said Israel arrested another 17 members of Hamas in the northern West Bank town of Tulkarm.
Israel has arrested some 60 Hamas officials in the West Bank since 2006, including several MPs, as part of a clampdown on the movement that does not recognize Israel.
The developments came as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert disclosed plans to release more than 400 Palestinian prisoners in a goodwill gesture before an upcoming US-sponsored peace conference.
Olmert, appearing before Parliament’s influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, also said Israel would continue to negotiate with Abbas even if Palestinians continue to fire rockets at southern Israel from Gaza, panel member Yuval Steinitz said. But implementation of any peace accord would depend on the attacks stopping, another meeting participant said.
Olmert appeared before the committee to brief it on preparations for the peace summit, which is expected to take place at the end of this month in Annapolis, Maryland. The meeting is meant to formally relaunch peace talks, which broke down in violence almost seven years ago.
“It’s a meeting meant to give an opportunity to jumpstart the peace process between us and the Palestinians, a process we are interested in advancing seriously and consistently. We intend to reach understandings, as soon as possible,” he later told lawmakers from his Kadima party.
Olmert told the committee that the summit would be a one-day gathering. And he expressed confidence that he could reach a peace accord with the Palestinians.
“It is not impossible to bridge the gaps,” Olmert was quoted as saying by a meeting participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Steinitz and lawmaker Yossi Beilin said Olmert told panel members Israel would release more than 400 Palestinian prisoners ahead of the summit. Palestinian officials put the number of Palestinians in Israeli jails at 12,000.
— Additional input from agencies
