Hamas arrest inflames crowd

GAZA - Gunfire erupted when thousands of Palestinians clashed with police yesterday, venting fury at the Palestinian Authority's decision to put militant Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin under house arrest.

At least one protester and a policeman were slightly wounded in the gunfire outside Yassin's home in Gaza City as Israel and the United States stepped up pressure on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to crack down on militants after deadly suicide attacks in the Jewish state.

Palestinian police said later they were in control, the crowd was dispersing and Yassin remained under house arrest.

Palestinian security men surrounded Yassin's home earlier yesterday but at one stage retreated a few dozen metres down the street when supporters of his Islamic group, some masked and armed, flooded the area.

Some of the 3000 demonstrators threw stones at police and set a police vehicle on fire. The protest followed calls on mosque loudspeakers to lift what was termed a "siege" of his home.

Yassin, aged 65 and wheelchair-bound, was the most prominent leader to be cracked down on since the start of a round-up of militants after Hamas claimed responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 25 people in Jerusalem and Haifa.

Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said the move against Yassin was not enough. "That's not stopping the suicide bombers. They've got to stop the ones who are doing the crimes."

US envoy Anthony Zinni met Sharon yesterday and was due to meet Arafat today.

Arafat accused Sharon of trying to topple him but the Israeli Government said it was only trying to force the Palestinian leader to "stop terrorism".

US President George W. Bush insisted Arafat should do everything possible to prevent further attacks in Israel. "Mr Arafat must show leadership and bring those to justice who would use murder as a weapon to derail peace and destroy innocent life."

Shortly after Bush spoke, Arafat took action against Yassin. Arafat said his forces had arrested 131 militants.

- REUTERS

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