Hamas cracks down on Fatah after Gaza rally bloodshed

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas rounded up dozens of Fatah activists in the Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip after its secular rival drew more than 200,000 supporters to a rally that ended in gunfire that killed seven people, officials said on Tuesday.

The assembly on Monday, marking the third anniversary of the death of iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, was the biggest held by President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group in Gaza since Hamas Islamists seized the territory by force in June.

Islam Shahwan, spokesman of the Hamas-led Executive Force, said it had detained about 50 Fatah members since the rally.

"They are the ones who planned and organised the rally yesterday and are suspected of being responsible for the chaos that took place," Shahwan said.

Fatah official Hazem Abu Shanab said Hamas security forces took 400 Fatah members into custody in a series of raids and dozens more were ordered to report to police stations for questioning.

The rare Fatah show of strength in the Gaza Strip broke up in chaos after gunfire rang out. Seven civilians, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed and 80 people wounded, medical officials said.

Fatah officials accused Hamas forces of opening fire at the crowd. Hamas said its men had come under attack from Fatah gunmen and returned fire.

"Whoever plays with fire will burn his fingers," said Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official.