Last update - 00:00 30/09/2007
Hamas forces arrest influential Fatah member in Gaza Strip
By News Agencies
Hamas security forces arrested early Sunday an influential member of the rival Fatah group in the Gaza Strip, the forces and his family said.
Yehiyeh Rabah, a columnist in the Palestinian official daily Al-Hayat
Al-Jadida, was arrested at his home shortly after midnight, the Hamas forces and his family said. Rabah, who is in his 70s, was the Palestinian ambassador to Yemen for more than 20 years.
Rabah had been interrogated by Hamas security two days ago and released. Rabah is suspected of accepting bribes from families to get their members recruited into the Fatah-allied Palestinian security forces, a Hamas official said on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to talk to the press.
Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinians were wounded overnight in clashes between the rival groups in the southern gaza city of Khan Younis,
Hamas routed Fatah forces and seized control of Gaza last June. Since then, its forces have arrested hundreds of Fatah members, including senior officials at the main electric company, a top bank and the largest Gaza hospit