Three dead, scores wounded in Gaza infighting

GAZA - A Gaza police commander and two civilians were killed in gunbattles with Hamas gunmen on Sunday in the worst outbreak of Palestinian infighting since Israel withdrew from the coastal strip last month, police sources said.

Fifty other people were wounded, including children and two militants, after members of the Islamic group tried to storm a police station in a refugee camp stronghold outside Gaza City, medics and witnesses said.

The fighting underscored the struggle Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas faces to consolidate control in Gaza, erupting just days after he enforced a ban on public displays of weapons, amid US and Israeli pressure to rein in militants. Hours beforehand, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had agreed in their first telephone conversation in weeks to meet soon and improve cooperation.

Israel scaled back its own offensive against militants after five days without rocket fire from Gaza, to give Abbas a chance to prevent attacks on Israel, Israeli security sources said.

Both Palestinian police and militants accused each other of sparking the confrontation.

Police said Hamas gunmen threw grenades and fired guns at a police patrol, then tried to storm two police stations in Gaza City and in Shati refugee camp, two militant strongholds, killing a commander of the Shati station.

Medics said two civilians, including a woman, had also died.

Hamas denied starting the melee. A spokesman said police provoked the fighting by stopping a car with two of its members apparently to arrest them, and that angry Palestinians had attacked police stations in response.

Tension between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) had been high after an explosion killed 17 people last month at a Hamas rally. The PA denied Hamas allegations Israel was to blame, saying Hamas had set off the blast by accident.

Hamas, the leading Islamic militant group whose suicide bombings won it popularity in a 5-year uprising against Israel, has been locked in a power struggle with the PA, fuelled by the Israeli pullout that has both vying for control of Gaza.

Israel withdrew its army from Gaza last month after demolishing Jewish settlements in August.

Palestinian security forces had begun to ban weapons displays last Thursday, patrolling the streets and inspecting cars for arms, after securing the consent of other militant factions to the policy.

At the centre of Sunday's dispute was a son of Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, a Hamas leader assassinated by Israel last year.

Hamas accused Palestinian police of attempting to arrest or kill Rantissi's son in Gaza City and said supporters had rushed to his defence. Hamas also denied Palestinian police statements that two of its members had been placed under arrest.

Hamas also charged that Palestinian security men shot at the home of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar, and that his sons returned fire but he was unharmed. Palestinian officials were not immediately available for comment.

Palestinian police put its forces on high alert.

Efforts were made to ease tensions. Militants from other Palestinian factions called for a ceasefire and dozens of Gaza residents telephoned radio stations to urge an end to fighting which threatened to fuel fears of lawlessness in the territory.

Abbas' earlier telephone conversation with Sharon had raised expectations after a surge of Israeli-Palestinian violence had damaged hopes stirred by Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, which ended 38 years of military rule there.

Abbas called Sharon with greetings for the Jewish New Year, which starts at sundown on Monday. Sharon expressed best wishes for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, starting this week.

A statement from Sharon's office said they "agreed to tighten cooperation between them and to work together to advance the process. They also agreed to meet soon in order to advance various issues that are on the agenda.No exact date was set.

"Both leaders expressed hope that the new year would be more successful, a year of peace and hope," it said.

Israeli airstrikes prompted by rocket salvoes killed four gunmen in Gaza last week. Israeli forces also raided the West Bank to arrest hundreds of suspected militants. Five gunmen and a teenager were killed during raids.

Israel's army suspended a commander on Sunday during a probe of the West Bank teen's death.

- REUTERS