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Funeral of Islamic Jihad militant killed by IAF in Gaza Thuesday. (AP)
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Haniyeh: Gaza funeral blast part of Fatah conspiracy to sow chaos
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Gaza, IAF, Fatah 

Deposed Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas accused his Fatah rivals of trying to destabilize Hamas' rule in the Gaza Strip on Friday, hours after an explosion killed at least four people at a funeral for Fatah militants.

"What has happened in the last hours is part of a conspiracy to spread chaos," Haniyeh said.

"Some 30 people were wounded in a Friday morning blast, during a funeral procession, as hundreds of mourners marched through Gaza City," hospital officials said.
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"What happened was an assault against all our people," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office quoted him as saying. It declared three days of mourning, ordering that Palestinian flags should fly at half mast for the dead mourners.

Witnesses said gunmen were firing in the air during the funeral of a Fatah militant killed Thursday in an Israel Air Force strike. Then, a powerful explosion went off. The source of the blast was unknown and it was unclear if the device was triggered or set off accidentally.

Witnesses said a man carrying explosives in a jacket accidentally detonated them. Standing on top of a moving car with a loud speaker, the man opened up the jacket to show off the explosives and then jumped off the car, triggering the explosion and instantly killing himself and the others, the witnesses said.

Hamas security officials offered a differing version of events, saying a mourner threw a pipe bomb from the procession when it bounced off a wall and exploded.

Fatah officials accused Hamas of throwing a bomb at the procession, saying in a statement posted on the official WAFA news agency that it was a continuation of Hamas crimes since it seized control of the Strip in June. Hamas security officials denied the charges.

Gunfire and fireworks are common forms of commemoration at Gaza funerals.

A senior official from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called on Fatah on Friday to begin initiate dialogue with Hamas.

"We call on our brothers in Fatah to embark on a national dialogue to close ranks," Maher Taher, the PFLP's representative in Damascus, said during a speech marking the 40th anniversary of the group's formation.

"The matter doesn't deserve all this conflict over a partitioned authority that is shackled with all kinds of Zionist conditions," Taher added.

Hamas and other Palestinian groups, like PFLP, have criticized Abbas for holding talks with the Israel, especially after he participated in a U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference last month in Annapolis, Maryland.

The meeting relaunched Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and was attended by most Arab nations, including leading players Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Hamas was not invited to the gathering.

Taher said the Annapolis meeting was aimed at fueling internalPalestinian turmoil and ending their resistance. "We adhere fast to our weapons ... all calls to end resistance would be doomed to failure," he said.

The rally where Taher spoke was held at the al-Yarmouk refugee camp near Damascus and was attended by some 800 people in a giant tent decorated with Palestinian flags and banners.

"The unity of the Palestinians is the only guarantee for the supreme national rights of the Palestinian people," read one banner. "The Annapolis meeting is a step for division, liquidation and normalization," read another.

The gathering was attended by representatives from several other Damascus-based radical Palestinian factions.

Ziyad Nakhaleh, the assistant secretary general of the Islamic Jihad Movement, also urged Palestinian factions to close ranks and to go out of the current crisis.

Also Friday, three Palestinian youths were injured in a shooting incident near Gaza's northern border with Israel, one seriously, medics said. Palestinians blamed the Israel Defense Forces, although the army denied any involvement.

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      1.   Its like "BUY ONE GET ONE FREE" offer at the Supermarket 13:47  |  Alan 14/12/07
      2.   It was a grenade that someone dropped 13:59  |  JD 14/12/07
      3.   But remember folks... 14:13  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 14/12/07
      4.   They are savages, and like savages they die 14:14  |  Johnny 14/12/07
      5.   It`s a shame! 15:33  |  Aline 14/12/07
      6.   I usually throw pipebombs to celebrate martyr funerals 16:47  |  Richard S 14/12/07
      7.   The IAF does not drop pipe bombs. 17:12  |  Stephen. 14/12/07
      8.   Definitely a 2fer 17:17  |  JB 14/12/07
      9.   so precise 17:26  |  tired 14/12/07
      10.   The Bomber was a PAID AGENT of MOSSAD 17:29  |  * BEN JABO 14/12/07
      11.   Johnny #4 17:29  |  jjvanka 14/12/07
      12.   Fighting again 17:39  |  KUTW 14/12/07
      13.   They have so many explosives, should be used in a way or an other 17:43  |  maurice 14/12/07
      14.   #4 take a deep breath and slow down 17:46  |  boxley 14/12/07
      15.   The majority of the Palestinians wants peace 18:12  |  Voice of reason 14/12/07
      16.   explosion 18:35  |  rob 14/12/07
      17.   This rough beast slouching... 18:39  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/12/07
      18.   They sure know how to party 18:40  |  Michael 14/12/07
      19.   Classic exsemple of Pali behaviour.Are any 18:43  |  TOMY 14/12/07
      20.   JD # 2 A Grenade? 19:02  |  Jeff Northridge 14/12/07
      21.   BEN JABO, HOW COULD YOU!!!! 19:09  |  Brant 14/12/07
      22.   This must be Israel`s fault 19:18  |  Mark 14/12/07
      23.   Arabs are differante,there is nothing racial 19:18  |  TOMY 14/12/07
      24.   Voice of reason - and palestinians wishes for peace 19:28  |  Johnny 14/12/07
      25.   jjvanka #11 19:30  |  Johnny 14/12/07
      26.   This is Sick 19:34  |  H 14/12/07
      27.   Voice of reason # 15 "The arab world needs a leader free from 19:35  |  terrornator 14/12/07
      28.   Waiting For Benevolent Arab Leadership 19:38  |  Ron 14/12/07
      29.   At least four killed, 30 hurt in explosion at Gaza Strip funeral 19:38  |  george bishop 14/12/07
      30.   the israelis did it 19:41  |  george bishop 14/12/07
      31.   Ben Jabo # 10 19:45  |  Philippe 14/12/07
      32.   Another Peaceful Day in "Palestine" 19:48  |  Henry 14/12/07
      33.   Our peace partner is Fatah? 19:55  |  Will 14/12/07
      34.   HEY CLICKFOOL, WHERE ARE YOU NOW? 19:58  |  Will 14/12/07
      35.   what a bunch of clouns 20:18  |  Joey 14/12/07
      36.   For Will, # 34...I was wandering around the Conservatory 20:25  |  Clickfool 14/12/07
      37.   Reminds me of the last thing a Redneck says.... 20:30  |  The Equalizer 14/12/07
      38.   Savages 20:55  |  Eric 14/12/07
      39.   The usual PenPals are unavailable - working on hatemail elsewhere 21:05  |  Alan 14/12/07
      40.   pop, clickfool and the likes are MIA`S 21:12  |  Gabriel 14/12/07
      41.   Very few talkbackers,Were are they???? 21:21  |  TOMY 14/12/07
      42.   Mann News 14/12/2007 reports: 3 Palestinian children were 21:22  |  lakshmi 14/12/07
      43.   Johnny #25 21:27  |  jjvanka 14/12/07
      44.   Clickfool is over. 21:55  |  Vital 14/12/07
      45.   #22 Mark - NY 22:01  |  * BEN JABO 14/12/07
      46.   I shall predict responses 22:12  |  Adrian de Klerk 14/12/07
      47.   And one again the pals are 22:14  |  Adrian de Klerk 14/12/07
      48.   george bishop # 30 22:26  |  Philippe 14/12/07
      49.   Mirth for Xmas 23:02  |  Mark Katzman 14/12/07
      50.   chaos is a good medicine 23:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/12/07
      51.   More mirth for Xmas! 23:03  |  Mark Katzman 14/12/07
      52.   26 H,this might interest you,in September when a young boy in 23:30  |  lakshmi 14/12/07
      53.   gaza chaos 23:34  |  marcel 14/12/07
      54.   gaza chaos 23:34  |  marcel 14/12/07
      55.   Lakshmi,you are brainwashed 23:38  |  dovale 14/12/07
      56.   To Will #34 23:43  |  dovale 14/12/07
      57.   #39 - kassams are fired - Israel reponds an people die 23:48  |  redmike 14/12/07
      58.   # 39 lakshmi ...Maan News says 450 Hamas officials seek asylum in 23:56  |  Lynn 14/12/07
      59.   # 20 Jeff Northridge...Maan reports Hamas has the grenade guy in 00:04  |  Lynn 15/12/07
      60.   jjvanka #40 - they killed their own during own funeral 00:06  |  Johnny 15/12/07
      61.   Abbas is a sellout, everyone knows this 00:24  |  Kung Fu Fighter 15/12/07
      62.   #44 Lakshmi 00:32  |  H 15/12/07
      63.   please go home Lakshmi to Gaza 00:38  |  savior 15/12/07
      64.   39 lakshmi 00:42  |  leo 15/12/07
      65.   Dear clickfool et al. 00:45  |  leo 15/12/07
      66.   was a Joke for Video Joke on channel 1 french TV. 00:52  |  tf1 15/12/07
      67.   #10 - you couldn`t pay a Mossad man to die for them 01:35  |  Steve 15/12/07
      68.   Johnny #56 01:38  |  jjvanka 15/12/07
      69.   The work of the righteous is done by others 02:28  |  Marabu 15/12/07
      70.   61Leo,&59 H.,Leo,you need to see an optometrist,I was quoting 02:35  |  lakshmi 15/12/07
      71.   #49 Lakshmi aka KALI- this might interest you 02:38  |  * BEN JABO 15/12/07
      72.   Lakshmi 03:55  |  H 15/12/07
      73.   Maan said "Funeral blast was assassination attempt 04:09  |  * BEN JABO 15/12/07
      74.   Jabo #71 04:15  |  jjvanka 15/12/07
      75.   71 ben Jabo &72 H.,ben Jabo when you have read Thomas Coburn`s 04:43  |  lakshmi 15/12/07
      76.   where is the UN and human rights groups?? 04:46  |  vik 15/12/07
      77.   #4 - Shut that big mouth up! 06:23  |  Niva dos santos 15/12/07
      78.   lakshmi UN Res 181 fabrication - a recap (for a good laugh) 06:45  |  CK Tan 15/12/07
      79.   Pals want peace? # 15 08:36  |  Christian Van Nieker 15/12/07
      80.