Press anger at Gaza deaths

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A mother mourns the death of her 13-year-old son, a victim of the shooting.

The Palestinian press published in the West Bank expresses outrage at the deaths of seven people in Gaza in gunfire at a Fatah-organised rally to mark the anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death.

The papers lay the blame with the rival Hamas organisation, which they say is unwilling to recognise that Fatah still has plenty of support in Gaza.

One commentator laments that after all the deaths caused by the Arab-Israeli conflict, "this time the blood was shed by our own brothers".

AL-QUDS

What happened in Gaza should be a turning point in the way Hamas's leaders think. The crowds went out not only to commemorate Yasser Arafat's death but also to say no to the current situation in the Gaza Strip, including the division of our homeland, the damage inflicted upon our cause and the economic crunch.

HAFITH AL-BARGHUTHI IN AL-HAYAT AL-JADIDAH

The latest massacre in Gaza was caused by a cunning mentality that wanted from the beginning to drive the Gaza Strip towards the point of no return. [Hamas] want their hoodwinked militiamen to commit crimes in cold blood in order to prevent them from returning to the right path. This is the only explanation we can offer for such crimes.

YUSUF AL-QAZAZ IN AL-HAYAT AL-JADIDAH

A million people in Gaza sent a clear message yesterday to those who are trying to do away with Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority. Fatah will remain the backbone of the PLO, our moral homeland. And Gaza will be able to resist Hamas' militias the way it resisted the occupation.

MUHANNAD ABDULHAMID IN AL-AYYAM

Hamas was not ready to hear a united voice of the people so it tried to prevent the rally and restrain it to make it fail. But the public forced its presence on them and said what they wanted to say. However, Hamas reacted by firing a hail of bullets. As if the blood shed by the Israeli aggression was not enough, this time the blood was shed by our own brothers.

HASAN ASFUR IN AL-AYYAM

Those who are supported by foreign powers have no right to object to the peace process. The Annapolis conference is a historic chance for the Palestinians to restore their political dignity and regional status. The Arabs should have a voice in the regional developments if we want to avoid witnessing the death of the Palestinian cause and the end of the Arab presence.

<A href="http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk">BBC Monitoring</A> selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.