By DPA
Gaza City : The Palestinian police owing allegiance to the Hamas movement clashed Monday with supporters of the rival Fatah in Gaza City, leaving at least seven people dead and 150 wounded, medical officials said.
The violence broke out as tens of thousands of Fatah supporters were at a rally to mark the third anniversary of the death of former president Yasser Arafat.
Fatah and Hamas accused each other of being responsible for the violence.
Ahmed Helles, a senior Fatah leader, said Hamas militias opened fire “because they did not like seeing such a large number of Fatah supporters participating in the rally.”
But a statement by Hamas blamed Fatah for the violence and said gunmen from the movement, stationed on rooftops, had opened fire on the police organizing traffic.
Relations between the two movements – tense since Hamas defeated Fatah in the 2006 elections – have worsened dramatically since mid-June, when gunmen from the Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip routed security forces linked to Fatah, and seized control of the salient.
President Mahmoud Abbas called the Hamas action a “coup” and dismissed the Hamas-led unity government. Hamas said Abbas’ response was illegal, and continues to administer the Gaza Strip.