Hamas arrests scores of Fatah activists after Arafat rally in Gaza - Haaretz

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Thu., November 15, 2007 Kislev 5, 5768

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		Fatah supporters running for cover during clashes at Monday's major Gaza rally in honor of Yasser Arafat.

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Last update - 16:14 13/11/2007

Hamas arrests scores of Fatah activists after Arafat rally in Gaza

By Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and The Associated Press

tags: Hamas, Fatah, Gaza Strip

Hamas has rounded up scores of Fatah activists in the Gaza Strip following a Monday rally that drew more than 200,000 supporters and ended in gunfire that killed seven people, officials said on Tuesday.

Islam Shahwan, spokesman of the Hamas-led Executive Force, said it had detained about 50 Fatah members since the rally.

"They are the ones who planned and organised the rally yesterday and are suspected of being responsible for the chaos that took place," Shahwan said.

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Fatah official Hazem Abu Shanab said Hamas security forces arrested 400 Fatah members and dozens more were ordered to report to police stations for questioning.

At least 55 people wounded in exchanges of fire between Hamas forces and Fatah supporters, in the worst interfactional fighting in Gaza since Hamas violently seized the Strip in June.

All of the fatalities were either Fatah members or passersby. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas blamed Hamas, terming its actions "an abominable crime."

Gaza City was quiet and tense the morning after the violence, with few Hamas policemen in evidence on the streets. Schools were closed in mourning.

In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Fatah's former strongman in the Strip said the rally showed that Hamas was losing its grip on power.

Dahlan called for more rallies and said Monday's march will "shorten the suffering of the Palestinian people and will shorten the life of this bloody movement [Hamas]."

The clashes erupted after Hamas policemen tried to disperse a memorial march in Gaza City marking the third anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death. The rally, the largest ever held in the Gaza Strip, attracted more than 200,000 people, who waved pictures of Arafat, yellow Fatah flags, and black and white kaffiyehs as they listened to speeches by several Fatah leaders.

IDF, PA sources: Hamas' most extreme faction now in control of Gaza

Hamas' most extreme faction is now effectively in control of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian and Israel Defense Forces sources have told Haaretz.

The Gaza sources said Monday that the rift within Hamas' leadership is worsening, and the more extreme faction has taken over the organization in the Strip.

The sources said the faction includes most of Hamas' military wing, and is led by former foreign minister Mahmoud a-Zahar, head of the military wing Ahmad Jabari, and former interior minister Sa'id Siyam.

It relies on Iranian funding, the sources said, and is conducting a completely independent policy: It no longer listens to either Khaled Meshal, head of the organization's Damascus-based political office, or Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh.

The sources estimated that Haniyeh controls at most 30 percent of Hamas' fighting forces - even among the Executive Force, which is technically subordinate to his government.

Senior IDF officers offered a similar assessment. The military wing, controlled by Jabari, has effectively gained control of Gaza, they said; this faction ignores directives from Meshal and dictates to Haniyeh.

The extremist faction seeks to reproduce Hamas' takeover of Gaza in the West Bank. Haniyeh's faction, in contrast, believes the takeover of Gaza was a mistake, and has no desire to repeat it in the West Bank.

Related articles:

At least seven killed after Hamas opens fire on Arafat rally in Gaza

ANALYSIS: Hamas losing grip on Gaza, Fatah gaining support

Fatah's Hamas alternative

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1.	As Always	12:11	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

2.	Clickfool	12:25	\|	Michael	13/11/07

3.	Eyewitness reports state that fatah memebers threw stones and	12:35	\|	lakshmi	13/11/07

4.	clickfool - as always, caught LYING. AGAIN	12:48	\|	CK Tan	13/11/07

5.	lakshmi`s beloved terrorist brigade continues its Clean & Green	12:51	\|	CK Tan	13/11/07

6.	lakshmi # 3	13:17	\|	ChanahS	13/11/07

7.	#Clickfool new Hollywood script writer	13:29	\|	H	13/11/07

8.	#3 Eyewitness reports state that fatah memebers threw stones and	13:30	\|	S	13/11/07

9.	YOU OWE IT TO YOUR CHILDREN	13:35	\|	Don Corleone	13/11/07

10.	Clickfool Is The Mossad	13:43	\|	Ovadiah ben Avraham	13/11/07

11.	Celebrating Arafat`s demise	14:00	\|	Jonathan	13/11/07

12.	#3 Lakshmi--Hamas` Lies Are OBVIOUS! Support PEACE.	14:02	\|	Proud Pal Defender	13/11/07

13.	SOLUTION: Hamas, Etc. In Gaza And Fatah In The West Bank.	14:05	\|	Proud Pal Defender	13/11/07

14.	FATAH/MODERATES Must Win/Prevail! Hamas, Etc. Must Lose.	14:10	\|	Proud Pal Defender	13/11/07

15.	Massacre in Gaza!!!	14:23	\|	Chaim Jacobs	13/11/07

16.	#1 same old dull and unimaginative Clicky	14:40	\|	The Equalizer	13/11/07

17.	APROPRIATE memorial for Arafat.Dead and wounded civillians	15:05	\|	PETER S .M.	13/11/07

18.	arafat legacy , benefiting vultures, and undertakers,nice!	15:31	\|	Gabriel	13/11/07

19.	As Always, More Fool Than Click	15:50	\|	Tex	13/11/07

20.	Lakshmi Sings: "Why Can`t the Arabs Kill More Jews?"	15:52	\|	Tex	13/11/07

21.	The sudden return (TAR-RA!!) of Mossad Fake Clickfool # 1	16:04	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

22.	lakshmi # 3 throwing stones is no reason to shoot into a crowd of	16:09	\|	terrornator	13/11/07

23.	lakshmi and quislings	16:09	\|	Lynn	13/11/07

24.	HAMAS ARE THE ARABS WORST ENEMY	16:16	\|	B.Heddem	13/11/07

25.	Hamas thugs are no different than Fatah thugs.	16:25	\|	El-Birawi	13/11/07

26.	mea clupa	16:25	\|	clikcfool	13/11/07

27.	Palestinians and riots	16:25	\|	Eli Israeli	13/11/07

28.	Mossad Controls Clickers	16:33	\|	Tex	13/11/07

29.	clickfool has a twin - fake clickfool?	16:43	\|	CK Tan	13/11/07

30.	The authorities of Hamastan in action: First the shoot to kill	16:47	\|	Tuti	13/11/07

31.	CK Tan,chanah s. and other critics,cool down,shooting into	16:52	\|	lakshmi	13/11/07

32.	Clickfool #21: How Presumptuous!	16:56	\|	Joltin Joe	13/11/07

33.	Where are Sylivienne, POP, Dutch???	17:02	\|	DR	13/11/07

34.	Fake Shabak/Mossad "Clickfool" # 21	17:11	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

35.	Lackwit	17:15	\|	Joe Slovo	13/11/07

36.	Shame On Haaretz...Once Again	17:42	\|	AnakAdeen	13/11/07

37.	Free speech is alive and well in Hamastan	17:44	\|	Even Steven	13/11/07

38.	Lakshmi (#3) Approves of Firing Live Bullets at STONE THROWERS!	17:55	\|	Gil	13/11/07

39.	Lakshmi (#3) Approves of Firing Live Bullets at STONE THROWERS!	17:55	\|	Gil	13/11/07

40.	25 El Birawi,don`t you think that it`s time abbas resign,after	18:28	\|	lakshmi	13/11/07

41.	to lackshmi#31	18:40	\|	Ilya	13/11/07

42.	Luckshen has put her foot on her mouth today	19:30	\|	Yonatan	13/11/07

43.	clickfool post # 22 RE:lakshmi,is for you also,if you know how to	19:48	\|	terrornator	13/11/07

44.	For Joltin Joe # 32	19:51	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

45.	lakshmi,a "provocative & incendiary statement" is what we call in	19:53	\|	terrornator	13/11/07

46.	Silvienne - Eagerly awaiting your condenmnation	19:56	\|	* BEN JABO	13/11/07

47.	For Tex # 28	19:56	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

48.	Massad at it again	20:05	\|	Adrian de Klerk	13/11/07

49.	Lakshmi - it`s so funny to see you using...	20:26	\|	Polybios	13/11/07

50.	Yonatan re Lakshmi (#42)	21:39	\|	Gil	13/11/07

51.	Yonatan re Lakshmi (#42)	21:40	\|	Gil	13/11/07

52.	To clichefool #34	22:03	\|	Larry	13/11/07

53.	Killing- the Palestinian national sport	22:26	\|	gino	13/11/07

54.	#21Clickfool, Mossad is a dispicable organization	22:38	\|	Dutch	13/11/07

55.	how can they have their own state	23:30	\|	nmf	13/11/07

56.	# DR where are they?they`re hiding behind	23:35	\|	nmf	13/11/07

57.	To all the zionists who are jumping up & down,do read my post 40	00:21	\|	lakshmi	14/11/07

58.	Silvienne is a clown	00:34	\|	Johnny	14/11/07

59.	Lakshmi, you aware intelligence services are tracking you?	00:52	\|	Johnny	14/11/07

60.	Re #53 by gino on palestinian culture	00:54	\|	Johnny	14/11/07

61.	lakshmi, of course hamas will prevail, they kill their enemies	00:57	\|	Johnny	14/11/07

62.	Polybios #49, well put, and amen to the third intifada	00:59	\|	Johnny	14/11/07

63.	Have they settled who are the bigger Sodomists?	01:07	\|	PETER S.M.	14/11/07

64.	#48 Adrian de Klerk- It wasn`t Mossad	02:08	\|	* BEN JABO	14/11/07

65.	#54 DEMENTED DUTCH	02:09	\|	* BEN JABO	14/11/07

66.	Question to C.K. Tan	02:36	\|	Mark B.	14/11/07

67.	Haha, Ovadiah ben Avraham @10	02:40	\|	Mark B.	14/11/07

68.	#54 DUTCH	02:59	\|	DANNY	14/11/07

69.	2nd Try,To all the zionists jumping up & down,do read my post to	03:59	\|	lakshmi	14/11/07

70.	#66 mark B - My answer	09:57	\|	CK Tan	15/11/07

71.	Hamas Arrested protestors - Trials next	15:32	\|	* BEN JABO	15/11/07

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