Abbas: Hamas Irresponsibility Caused Gaza Rally Blast Friday

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Saturday blamed Hamas for a deadly explosion at a rally in Gaza Friday that left at least 15 people dead. He said the Islamic group put civilians at risk by parading with weapons in crowded neighborhoods.

Abbas' speech, broadcast on Palestinian radio, marked one of his harshest attacks yet on his main political rival. However, he also appeared to be appeasing Hamas, saying parliamentary elections would go ahead in January, as planned, and that he would not let outsiders dictate who can participate.

He was referring to Israel's recent demand that Hamas be kept out of the election. Hamas is expected to make a strong showing in the contest, and has an interest in seeing elections held on time.

Abbas spoke to several thousand supporters in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Saturday, a day after at least 15 Palestinians were killed in an explosion at a Hamas rally in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp. Hamas blamed Israel, but Palestinian security officials held Hamas responsible, saying militants apparently mishandled weapons.

Abbas said he was deeply concerned.

"I greet you today in these moments of sadness and anger that spoiled our happiness and joy over the departure of the settlers and soldiers," he told supporters.

He said he was "dumbfounded, pained and shocked" by the casualties at the Hamas rally. "What happened yesterday is what we always feared would happen, and what we always warned against," he said, referring to repeated appeals to gunmen not to flaunt their weapons in public.

"Today, we are required more than ever to end this tragedy that resulted from chaos and military parades in residential areas," he said.

Abbas said he remains committed to a peace deal with Israel. "We need security as a matter of national interest," he said. "We all must preserve security for the sake of our people. So we all should stop this chaos."

He also said elections would be held on time. "We are not going to comply with outside dictates," he said. "We have decided who has the right to take part in this election, and no one has control over us."

Hamas called Abbas' position "a stab in the back of the martyrs" and a blow to efforts to work out differences between the factions. Abbas has been trying to co-opt Hamas and has rejected calls by Israel and the international community to confront and disarm the militants.

Under an informal agreement between Abbas and the militants, a ban on displaying weapons was to take effect Saturday, though it was unclear whether Hamas would honor the deal following the Israeli strikes.

Earlier Saturday, intelligence sources told Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz that the Gaza rally blast was likely the result of a work accident.

Hospital sources said that the dead included two children and several gunmen. Hamas reported that three of its militants were killed in the explosions, including As'ad Rian, the brother of Nizar Rian, a senior member of the group's political wing.

The explosions were believed to have been set off when a pickup truck carrying masked militants and laden with weapons blew up.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction placed the responsibility for the explosions with Hamas. "The Fatah Central Committee holds the Hamas movement fully responsible for the victims of the military parade [that was held] among civilians," the committee said in a statement.

But in a press conference several hours after the incident, Hamas officials claimed that the rockets displayed during the rally were dummies that did not contain explosives. They also slammed the PA for blaming Hamas for the blasts.

The speakers at the press conference included Nizar Rian and Ahmed Randur, the leader of the Hamas militant wing in the Strip who organized the rally and who had been reported injured in the blasts.

They said that while Hamas would continue to honor an eight-month ceasefire it had agreed to in February by request of Abbas, it would still respond to Israeli attacks against Palestinians.

They went on to present an electronic component which they claimed was found on the body of one of the dead.

The chip, they claimed, strengthened their claim that Israeli missiles targeted the vehicle. Sources in Hamas claimed that an Israeli drone flying over the area fired several missiles at the rally.

Randur and Rian vowed Hamas "will find the right reaction at the right time."

Israel Defense Forces officials denied involvement in the incident, which took place only hours after Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza Strip fired several Qassam rocketsat Israel, causing no injuries or damage.

Witnesses pulled body parts out of a vehicle that appeared to have been destroyed by the blast. A large plume of white smoke rose over the large crowd.

During the rally, Hamas paraded with homemade weapons and explosives. Thousands of Palestinians at the rally, sponsored by Hamas and attended by some of its top commanders, stormed into the streets of the camp, shouting and carrying the wounded.

The incident took place a day after Abbas met with leaders of Palestinian factions in the Strip who agreed to cease holding military parades in Gaza. The decision was due to be implemented as of Saturday.

In the past, there have been several 'work accidents' caused by premature explosions while Palestinian militants were preparing bombs.