Seven Palestinians were killed and about 150 others wounded on
Monday afternoon when clashes between Fatah supporters and Hamas
police forces erupted at a Fatah-initiated rally commemorating late
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in western Gaza City, medics
said.
Palestinians carry a
wounded Fatah supporter during clashes with Hamas security forces
in Gaza City, Nov. 12, 2007.
The sources at Shiffa Hospital in Gaza City said that seven
people were killed and about 150 were wounded at the end of the
rally.
The clashes erupted as tens of thousands of Palestinians rallied
in western Gaza City commemorate the third anniversary of Arafat's
death.
Ahmed Helles, a senior Fatah movement leader in Gaza, estimated
that around half a million Palestinians from all-over the Gaza
Strip participated in the rally called "Faithfulness to late leader
Yasser Arafat."
Fatah and Hamas traded accusations for triggering the violence
at the end of the rally.
Helles said that Hamas militia opened fire at the participants
in the rally "because they didn't like the scene of such a large
number of Fatah supporters participating in the rally."
However, deposed Hamas ministry of interior said in a statement
that Fatah gunmen opened fire first at interior ministry police and
sparked the deadly gunfire.
The statement said that dozens of Fatah militants were in the
rally and some of them opened fire at police from the roofs of
several buildings where they stationed.
Waving Palestinian flags, Fatah's symbolic yellow flags, and
posters of Arafat, tens of thousands Palestinians gathered at
al-Katiba square in western Gaza City to commemorate late Arafat,
who was also the founder of Fatah movement.
(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2007)
