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Members of the Hamas Executive Force detaining a Fatah supporter during clashes in Gaza City Friday. (AP)
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Teenager killed in Hamas protest at Rafah crossing
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies

Hamas gunmen opened fire at pro-Hamas protesters at a rally on the Gaza-Egypt border Saturday, killing a teenager, hospital officials said.

Tens of thousands of flag-waving Hamas supporters gathered at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to demand it be reopened. The border, Gaza's only gateway to Egypt, has been shut since Hamas' bloody takeover of the Gaza Strip in June. Hamas charges that the government of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas does not want the crossing opened because that would help the Islamic group hold on to power in Gaza.

Hamas gunmen fired in the air as hundreds of protesters tried to rush the border terminal and attempted to infiltrate into Egypt. Mohammed Qdaih, 17, was hit by a bullet, pronouned brain dead by doctors and died soon thereafter.

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"This is a peaceful protest to voice our message that we are looking for freedom," said Issa Mashar, a top Hamas leader in Rafah. "We came to send a message from the people who are suffering."

But when hundreds of Hamas supporters tried to storm the crossing, Hamas militiamen staved them off by firing in the air.

Ashraf Abu Daya, one of the rally's organizers, appealed for calm from the crowd.

"There is no need to break into the crossing. The crossing is no longer under the occupation. The crossing is under the control of the Hamas Executive Committee," he said.

The Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June triggered the closure of the border crossing, which had been run by Palestinian security with European supervision and Israeli security in the background.

Ihab al-Ghusain, a Hamas security spokesman, said its forces tried to prevent a few of the demonstrators from approaching the border with Egypt.

"A child was injured and he is in critical condition. We are investigating the incident to determine where the shot came from," he said.

Hamas sets hefty bail for arrested Fatah activists
Also on Saturday, Hamas authorities set a hefty bail for the release of the Fatah activists it arrested following a Gaza protest rally, in yet another crackdown against its vanquished rival.

The Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee said earlier in the day it would meet to discuss Friday's clashes between Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip, which left some 20 people wounded, Israel Radio reported.

According to the radio, Abbas' office said Saturday that Hamas had crossed all lines, after Hamas men sparked the clashes by forcefully dispersing a Fatah protest.

The Hamas men fired in the air and beat demonstrators and reporters in order to disperse the protest against the Islamist group's rule in the Strip.

Early Saturday, an explosion tore through a Hamas member's car, sources in the organization said.

Two French journalists and two children were among those wounded in Friday's clashes, according to doctors and witnesses.

Reporters covering the protest said they witnessed the beating of one journalist by Hamas men. He was not seriously hurt.

The violence began at the end of a Fatah prayer meeting held to protest against Hamas, which seized control of the coastal territory in June. A similar protest last Friday also ended in clashes and harassment of journalists.

Fatah had called its supporters to openly hold weekly Friday prayers throughout the Gaza Strip to protest against what they said was persecution of its members in Hamas-controlled mosques.

After hundreds of Fatah supporters finished prayers in Gaza City, a group of worshippers pelted Hamas-controlled buildings with stones and pipe bombs. Some shouted insults at Hamas officials, including Shiites, in reference to the group's links to Iran.

Hamas men began firing into the air to disperse the crowd. In a frenzy, Hamas security forces then began arresting protesters and taking them away in jeeps, chasing them in the streets and also beating several demonstrators. Associated Press television footage showed several uniformed Hamas men beating an unarmed protester with long sticks.

A similar protest in Rafah broke up when Hamas men fired in the air. Stun grenades also landed amid the crowd, injuring the two children.

A statement from Abbas' office in Ramallah said that the "crackdown on protesters aims to impose a blind dictatorship and an extremist culture that contradicts the values of our people and their heritage."

"The events in the Gaza Strip prove to everyone that the [Hamas] coup is nearing its end. Our heroic people in Gaza will not be terrorized by these mercenaries," the statement said.

Hamas men in civilian clothes had also joined the uniformed forces in dispersing the protest and beating protesters with sticks.

A small explosion from an unknown source injured two French journalists, one in his leg and the other on her hand. Neither injury was considered serious. A Hamas security spokesman said stun grenades and pipe bombs were used by the protesters.

Ihab al-Ghusain, the Hamas security spokesman, said "rioting is unacceptable in the law ... they had to be contained in anyway possible, according to the law."

After the clashes, heavily armed Hamas security agents entered the Associated Press offices in Gaza City and instructed staff not to film or photograph a nearby security building from the balcony without prior permission.

Saber Khalifa, a Hamas security spokesman, said his force was rounding up subverters. He didn't have a number of those arrested.

A Fatah official in Gaza said 25 men had been rounded up.
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  1.   National sport 15:33  |  Itsik 31/08/07
  2.   Brotherly Love - They`re at it again 16:14  |  * BEN JABO 31/08/07
  3.   I`d like to wait and see the Maan News report,AP often is not 16:15  |  lakshmi 31/08/07
  4.   "...witnessed the beating of one journalist by Hamas men." 16:35  |  bat yam 31/08/07
  5.   Tally Ho! 16:38  |  Jim 31/08/07
  6.   Hamas Shows It`s True Face 16:40  |  Shepherd 31/08/07
  7.   Hamas fascism 16:47  |  Polybios 31/08/07
  8.   Now that`s in line Arab Goverment Mentality- put them away 16:56  |  Omar El Sharif 31/08/07
  9.   Lakshmi Sings: "Hamas Has A Handle On My Security!" 16:59  |  Duh 31/08/07
  10.   #2 Lakshmi - no need to wait 17:22  |  * BEN JABO 31/08/07
  11.   Rounding up subverters 17:28  |  Hausman 31/08/07
  12.   Lakshmi, its on BBC website 17:29  |  Reuben Jacobs 31/08/07
  13.   OK Lakshmi....Maan states the same 17:31  |  Will 31/08/07
  14.   We`ll not be silent,Woman intifada against Hamas and fatah dictat 17:32  |  Joseph E . 31/08/07
  15.   Hamas is a dictatorship.Masses should be ruled by force.That`s th 17:34  |  trend 31/08/07
  16.   Hamas is a dictatorship.Masses should be ruled by force.That`s th 17:34  |  trend 31/08/07
  17.   #8-2 Lakshmi - You`ve had time to read Maan 17:36  |  * BEN JABO 31/08/07
  18.   The new Israel 17:44  |  Murray 31/08/07
  19.   Here is for you DEMOCRACY... 17:57  |  Maurice 31/08/07
  20.   HAMAS HAS TO KEEP THE ORDER 18:03  |  indrajaya 31/08/07
  21.   HAMAS HAS TO KEEP THE ORDER 18:04  |  indrajaya 31/08/07
  22.   order hamas style 18:05  |  scanadu 31/08/07
  23.   rioting is unlawful but a coup d`etat with guns is lawful? 18:06  |  Ali 31/08/07
  24.   Murray the fool # 16 18:18  |  ChanahS 31/08/07
  25.   Indrajaya and law and order 18:19  |  ChanahS 31/08/07
  26.   Indrajaya and security 18:20  |  ChanahS 31/08/07
  27.   If Hamas did this in the West Bank 18:24  |  Rachel C. 31/08/07
  28.   Two items stand out which are not reported in this account: 18:27  |  lakshmi 31/08/07
  29.   Hamas to protest in West Bank 18:30  |  Rachel C. 31/08/07
  30.   #18 Indrajaya - Law and order 18:40  |  * BEN JABO 31/08/07
  31.   when people have no rights 18:43  |  Akiva Patysh 31/08/07
  32.   Try learning to read, ChanahS 18:49  |  Murray 31/08/07
  33.   #27 lakshmi 18:54  |  Reuben Jacobs 31/08/07
  34.   "Murray the fool" replies 19:08  |  Murray 31/08/07
  35.   30 Murray - 19:18  |  ChanahS 31/08/07
  36.   No News except Palestinian News 19:19  |  Yolan 31/08/07
  37.   Murray #30 19:22  |  Tex 31/08/07
  38.   Gaza is Green, Clean. and Safe 19:22  |  Robert 31/08/07
  39.   Both Hamas and Fatah have no sense of democratic values 19:30  |  El-Birawi 31/08/07
  40.   Start a Riot, Complain of Excessive Force 19:33  |  Mark of Lewiston 31/08/07
  41.   #28 lakshmi - you deplore explosives 19:33  |  * BEN JABO 31/08/07
  42.   Keep your bloody children at home you friggin` retards! 20:09  |  WWACD 31/08/07
  43.   Wow, another violent clash in Gaza... 20:27  |  simon 31/08/07
  44.   38El Birawi,40Ben jabo,38,your question what would the PA do if 20:28  |  lakshmi 31/08/07
  45.   Wow, another violent clash in Gaza... 20:31  |  Simon Jenkins 31/08/07
  46.   37Robert see my post 27 for that logo! 20:32  |  lakshmi 31/08/07
  47.   Murray and Demonstrations 20:49  |  ChanahS 31/08/07
  48.   #31 Murray to Chana S 21:00  |  * BEN JABO 31/08/07
  49.   A different argument, ChanahS 21:14  |  Murray 31/08/07
  50.   Hurry it up 21:15  |  Nemesis 31/08/07
  51.   Welcome to fascism...Palestinian Style 21:18  |  Dr. Dave 31/08/07
  52.   boycott Hamas 21:19  |  Harry 31/08/07
  53.   A new civil war? 21:38  |  KUTW 31/08/07
  54.   Lakshmi is feeding us the usual diet of cabal, quisling, BS quote 21:43  |  Jesus 31/08/07
  55.   38 El-Birawi... 21:44  |  bat yam 31/08/07
  56.   Hey, those guys in the fatigues in photo are really Mossad agents 21:47  |  sheik yer booti 31/08/07
  57.   Hamas are not freedom fighters 21:47  |  Lynn 31/08/07
  58.   #39 Are you the real El-Birawi? 21:57  |  David Israel 31/08/07
  59.   # 40 Mark of Lewiston 22:00  |  Lynn 31/08/07
  60.   Lynn # 57 22:01  |  ChanahS 31/08/07
  61.   Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight 22:31  |  Robert 31/08/07
  62.   Hamas/Fatah 22:37  |  Nemesis 31/08/07
  63.   Ma`an Reports - What Actually Happened 22:59  |  Double Click 31/08/07
  64.   Shame on you 23:05  |  M 31/08/07
  65.   #48 - BEN JABO - Phychologically Impaired 23:08  |  Double Click 31/08/07
  66.   #35 - Tell a Lie Often Enough - It May Be Believed 23:29  |  Double Click 31/08/07
  67.   Full scale civil war likely 23:29  |  Johnny 31/08/07
  68.   El Birawie....here is what is needed. 23:36  |  Ibrahim 31/08/07
  69.   is all this our problem?? 23:36  |  michel 31/08/07
  70.   If Israel did this ........ 23:41  |  John Phee 31/08/07
  71.   dear sheik yer booti 23:43  |  spastic freakshow 31/08/07
  72.   I blame Israel for this infighting & Violence 23:46  |  Dutch 31/08/07
  73.   Self-criticism, riot !! 23:58  |  Fateh supporter 31/08/07
  74.   ChanahS # 60 00:06  |  Lynn 01/09/07
  75.   David Israel 00:11  |  Lynn 01/09/07
  76.   To Indrajaya,Palestinian National Sport: to hate 00:18  |  Ugy the she camel 01/09/07
  77.   To Indrajaya,Palestinian National Sport: to hate 00:23  |  Ugy the she camel 01/09/07
  78.   re: Shepherd 00:42  |  Paulo 01/09/07
  79.