Fleeing Fatah men return to Gaza after Abbas request
Israel began returning Fatah members who had fled deadly clashes in the Gaza Strip to the territory yesterday following a request by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Israeli security officials said.
Abbas had asked Israel to allow some 180 people to leave Gaza after nine people were killed in clashes on Saturday with Hamas-run security forces in the deadliest internal fighting since the Islamists seized power in June 2007.
"Yesterday evening Abu Mazen (Abbas) and (Palestinian prime minister Salam) Fayyad made a request for Israel to allow them to cross into Israel and then to hospitals and the West Bank," a senior Israeli official told AFP.
"Shortly afterwards (Israeli Defence Minister Ehud) Barak was contacted again by Abbas who asked him to allow all of them to return to Gaza," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Another security official said the decision was taken by Abbas following "assurances given from a foreign party" -- a reference to Egypt which has brokered indirect negotiations between the rival Palestinian factions.
At least 22 people who were evacuated from Gaza and hospitalised for wounds inflicted in the fighting were expected to remain in Israel until they recover.
Spokesmen for Abbas could not be reached for comment, and neither Hamas nor Israeli officials would confirm how many out of the more than 180 who fled had been sent back.
The scores of Fatah supporters had fled Gaza on Saturday through the Nahal Oz crossing after clashes between Hamas-run security forces and the pro-Fatah Helis clan, killing nine people and wounding more than 90.
The clashes followed a week in which the Islamist movement cracked down on its rivals in Abbas's Fatah party, detaining upwards of 300 people.
Tensions have been high in the impoverished coastal strip of 1.5 million people since Hamas blamed Fatah for a beachside bombing more than a week ago that killed five senior Hamas militants and a little girl.
On Saturday Hamas accused members of the Helis clan over the attack.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said on Sunday Hamas-run security forces had received "dozens" of Fatah members sent back and were investigating them, insisting that the arrests were not political but connected to the bombing.
"Those who are accused of breaking the law will be investigated and if they are found to be guilty will be brought to justice. Those who are proved innocent will be released," Abu Zuhri told AFP.
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