This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7526731.stm

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Hamas arrests dozens after blast Hamas arrests dozens after blast
(about 6 hours later)
Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip are said to have arrested 160 Fatah supporters and set up checkpoints after an explosion killed six people. Hamas forces in Gaza have detained 160 supporters of the rival Fatah movement after an explosion killed six people, a Palestinian human rights group says.
A powerful explosion inside a car travelling past a beach in the Gaza Strip on Friday killed five Hamas activists and a six-year old girl. The Islamist group disputes the figure, but says those being held are suspected of involvement in the blast. Fatah officials have denied any involvement.
At least 15 other people were said to have been injured by the explosion - the third bomb attack in a day. Human rights workers also said Hamas had raided Fatah offices and shut down about 40 civil society institutions.
Hamas's rival Fatah, which controls the West Bank, denied involvement. Friday's suspected bombing was one of three in Gaza in a period of 24 hours.
Three attacks in 24 hours made it one of the bloodiest episodes since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 from the Fatah movement of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Seven people were killed and at least 18 others were injured during one of the bloodiest days in Gaza since Hamas and Israel agreed a ceasefire last month.
Hamas seized control of the territory in June 2007 from Fatah, which is led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
'Dark tunnel'
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights quoted security sources as saying that 162 Fatah supporters had been detained following the explosion on Friday night on Gaza City's coastal road, which killed five Hamas militants and a young girl.
Those who carried out this crime are making war on God, on the security of Gaza, and on the resistance Khalil al-HayyaHamas leaderThose who carried out this crime are making war on God, on the security of Gaza, and on the resistance Khalil al-HayyaHamas leader
Hamas disputes the figures for the number of people arrested, but says those it has detained are suspected of involvement in a bomb the latest attack. It said Hamas security forces had also closed tens of civil society organisations, benevolent societies and sports clubs, most of them affiliated with Fatah.
"The Fatah movement is behind this reprehensible crime," senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya told a crowd of supporters at a funeral for those killed. Fatah sources told the Reuters news agency that Hamas supporters had also seized computers and files at the Gaza offices of the Palestinian Wafa news agency.
Many of those detained on Saturday were senior Fatah officials, including Ahmed Nasser, its top political leader in Gaza, and Abu al-Abed Khattab, a former major-general in the Palestinian Authority's security forces, they added.
In a statement, the PCHR condemned the suspected bombings but warned against "the implications of climbing down a dark tunnel that will lead to further fragmentation and internal divide, with the price paid by the Palestinian people and their national cause".
Many enjoying a day by the sea were injured by the Gaza City blast
Hamas officials disputed the figures, but insisted those it had detained were suspected of involvement in a bomb the latest attack.
"The Fatah movement is behind this reprehensible crime," senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya told a crowd of supporters at a funeral for those killed, who included one of his nephews.
"Those who carried out this crime are making war on God, on the security of Gaza, and on the resistance," he said. "They will not be released after six months but will be hanged from the gallows and shot.""Those who carried out this crime are making war on God, on the security of Gaza, and on the resistance," he said. "They will not be released after six months but will be hanged from the gallows and shot."
The Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights quoted police sources as saying that 160 Fatah supporters had been detained. It said Hamas security forces had also raided and closed tens of civil society organisations, benevolent societies, and sports clubs affiliated with Fatah. An unknown group called the Al-Awda Brigades, which claimed to be aligned with Fatah, said it was responsible for the attack. The authenticity of the claim could not be verified.
In a statement, it condemned the attacks but warned against "the implications of climbing down a dark tunnel that will lead to further fragmentation and internal divide, with the price paid by the Palestinian people and their national cause". But the office of President Abbas in Ramallah denied that Fatah had any link to the violence and blamed it on Hamas infighting.
"The claim that Fatah carried out these explosions aims to cover up the fact that there are disputes within Hamas," it said.
The BBC's Aleem Maqbool says the Islamist party's firm grip on Gaza has meant relatively few factional killings or attacks against it since taking power, but tensions have remained high.The BBC's Aleem Maqbool says the Islamist party's firm grip on Gaza has meant relatively few factional killings or attacks against it since taking power, but tensions have remained high.
Beach outingBeach outing
Earlier on Friday, a bombing outside a cafe in Gaza City killed one person - reportedly the perpetrator - and injured at least three others, Hamas officials said.Earlier on Friday, a bombing outside a cafe in Gaza City killed one person - reportedly the perpetrator - and injured at least three others, Hamas officials said.
It was unclear why the area was bombed, but there have been attacks on internet cafes, music shops and Christian institutions in Gaza in recent months.It was unclear why the area was bombed, but there have been attacks on internet cafes, music shops and Christian institutions in Gaza in recent months.
Officials also reported a bombing near the home of Marwan Abu Ras, a Hamas politician and academic. No-one was injured.Officials also reported a bombing near the home of Marwan Abu Ras, a Hamas politician and academic. No-one was injured.
The explosion on Friday night at a major junction besides Gaza City's beach killed three Hamas members and the girl immediately, according to a statement by the Palestinian Health Ministry. The explosion on Friday night at a major junction besides Gaza City's beach killed three members of Hamas's military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, and the 5-year-old girl immediately, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Two more Hamas members died of injuries on Saturday, the statement added. Two more Hamas members died of injuries on Saturday, the ministry added.
The girl killed in the blast had been on her way to the beach with her family, medics said.The girl killed in the blast had been on her way to the beach with her family, medics said.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
Aftermath of the bombingAftermath of the bombing