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Hamas 'releases Fatah official' | Hamas 'releases Fatah official' |
(10 minutes later) | |
Hamas says it has released the top representative of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party in the Gaza Strip. | Hamas says it has released the top representative of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party in the Gaza Strip. |
Zakaria Agha was held for four days after being seized by Hamas gunmen. | Zakaria Agha was held for four days after being seized by Hamas gunmen. |
He was detained as part of a wave of arrests of Fatah supporters after a beachside bombing killed five Hamas militants and a young girl. | He was detained as part of a wave of arrests of Fatah supporters after a beachside bombing killed five Hamas militants and a young girl. |
Fatah denied involvement in the attack and carried out its own series of arrests in the West Bank. | Fatah denied involvement in the attack and carried out its own series of arrests in the West Bank. |
"We have released Zakaria Agha as a sign of goodwill and in response to Arab and Palestinian efforts," Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu told the AFP news agency. | "We have released Zakaria Agha as a sign of goodwill and in response to Arab and Palestinian efforts," Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu told the AFP news agency. |
Mr Agha and fellow senior Fatah official Ibrahim Abu Naja were among those arrested in the Hamas crackdown following the coastal bombing. | Mr Agha and fellow senior Fatah official Ibrahim Abu Naja were among those arrested in the Hamas crackdown following the coastal bombing. |
Tensions flared | Tensions flared |
Both men had been appointed by Mr Abbas to run Fatah in Gaza after Hamas took control in Gaza in June 2007. | Both men had been appointed by Mr Abbas to run Fatah in Gaza after Hamas took control in Gaza in June 2007. |
Mr Abu Naja and other Fatah officials are believed still to be in custody. | Mr Abu Naja and other Fatah officials are believed still to be in custody. |
Violence erupted over the weekend when Hamas fighters clashed with a pro-Fatah clan in Gaza City. | Violence erupted over the weekend when Hamas fighters clashed with a pro-Fatah clan in Gaza City. |
Fatah supporters were held by Israel after fleeing from Gaza | Fatah supporters were held by Israel after fleeing from Gaza |
Nearly a dozen people were killed and scores wounded in the worst internal feuding since the militant Hamas faction gained power in Gaza. | Nearly a dozen people were killed and scores wounded in the worst internal feuding since the militant Hamas faction gained power in Gaza. |
In the wake of the fighting about 200 Fatah men fled from Gaza into Israel. About 35 were returned to Gaza, where some were detained by Hamas. | In the wake of the fighting about 200 Fatah men fled from Gaza into Israel. About 35 were returned to Gaza, where some were detained by Hamas. |
Mr Abbas had requested the men be returned to Gaza, to keep a Fatah presence there. | Mr Abbas had requested the men be returned to Gaza, to keep a Fatah presence there. |
However, the Israeli army later halted the transfer of the men after learning of their arrests and receiving information that "their lives were in danger". | However, the Israeli army later halted the transfer of the men after learning of their arrests and receiving information that "their lives were in danger". |
Instead, about 90 were sent by bus to the town of Jericho on the West Bank, which is controlled by the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority. | |
They were to be housed in the Palestinian National Security headquarters there, Palestinian officials said. | |
The remainder of the Fatah supporters were either in hospital in Israel or being questioned by Israeli security forces, the officials said. |