யாஸர் அராபத் நினைவு ஊர்வலத்தில் ஹமாஸ் குண்டு வீசி 6 பேர் பலி

யாஸர் அராபத் நினைவு ஊர்வலத்தில் ஹமாஸ் குண்டு வீசி 6 பேர் பலியானார்கள்.

Deadly clash at Arafat Gaza rally

Violence followed one of the biggest rallies in Gaza this year
At least six people have been killed in gunfire at a rally organised by Fatah in the Gaza Strip to mark three years since the death of Yasser Arafat.
Security forces from the rival Hamas movement opened fire at crowds, causing people to run for cover, reports say.

It was the biggest rally held by the late president's party since it was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in June after a series of bloody clashes.

The iconic Palestinian leader died in Paris on 11 November 2004.

Since his death Palestinian politics has been riven by splits, the most violent between the secular nationalist Fatah party and the radical Islamist group Hamas.

Taunting

Hundreds of thousands of Fatah supporters, carrying pictures of Arafat and waving yellow Fatah flags had gathered in a large square in the centre of Gaza City.

Hamas security officials said they fired toward protesters who threw stones at security compounds.

Witnesses said the first shots were fired after crowds started accusing Hamas security forces of being a proxy for Shia Muslim-ruled Iran.

About 100 people were reported to have been wounded in the violence.

Hamas has banned opposition rallies since its takeover of Gaza, and its security personnel were out in force at the edge of Monday's massive gathering.

Correspondents say any move to prevent a ceremony commemorating Mr Arafat - whose following still crosses factional divisions - would have been widely unpopular in Gaza.