Several hundred Palestinians clashed with Palestinian Authority police near the Gaza City home of a top military intelligence official overnight, in protest against a PA crackdown on militants, reported AFP.
The pro-Hamas Palestinian Information Center (PIC) online news service confirmed the incident, saying that a group of masked men headed a march after evening prayers in Shati’ Camp in protest of an attack in which Palestinian security members shot at an armed Hamas cell on Saturday.
Three activists were injured in the incident, which triggered anger among Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees, which took part in the Monday clashes.
The demonstrators hurled stones at guards outside the home of Gaza military intelligence chief Moussa Arafat.
Shots were fired in the air by both armed Palestinian demonstrators and police, but no-one was injured, they said.
PIC said there were “minor injuries.”
Palestinian police have since arrested several people they suspect were involved in the violence and security has been stepped up around the home of Arafat, a close relative of the Palestinian leader, security officials told AFP.
At least four people were arrested, said other reports.
The three who were injured Saturday were suspected of planning mortar attacks against Israel. They were shot after they fired on police at a Palestinian checkpoint near Beit Hanoun. It was reported that they launched a rocket at the post and fired machineguns when the policemen ordered them to stop.
Sources have also said that the Palestinian security agents thought that the passengers of the car were members of the Israeli undercover units known as “mustaribee.”
These special unit are always disguised in Palestinian civilian clothes and carry out kidnappings and other anti-Palestinian operations.
At a later rally in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip joined by some 500 people, angry demonstrators stoned a Palestinian police station in protest at the earlier violence.
Under the terms of a US-brokered ceasefire, Arafat's self-rule authority has been called on to arrest "terrorists" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, though the Israelis complain that the PA is not doing enough - Albawaba.com
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