Tensions rise among Palestinians

Hamas officials Friday accused the rival Fatah party of trying to assassinate Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh during a burst of gunfire a night earlier, as fresh clashes injured more than 30 people in the West Bank and raised worries on both sides of a slide toward wider violence.

Amid rising tensions, the ruling Hamas movement deployed members of a special security force around a Gaza stadium as tens of thousands of supporters gathered to mark the anniversary of the radical Islamist group’s founding in 1987. Before the event, rival gunmen in Gaza briefly exchanged gunfire but no one was hurt.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian riot police, armed with rifles and clubs, fired into the air and clashed with Hamas demonstrators who marched through downtown. The incident, during which at least 12 people were shot and others were beaten, followed a string of flare-ups this week that prompted both sides to warn of civil war.

The clashes and the accusations of an assassination attempt aimed at Haniyeh raised tensions as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to make a speech today about the worsening political deadlock.

But it remains unclear how Abbas, who belongs to Fatah, plans to resolve the impasse. Early elections, as urged by some in Fatah, would be seen by the elected Hamas government as tantamount to a coup attempt and could ignite worse violence.

In remarks to Hamas supporters Friday, Haniyeh appealed for unity among the Palestinian factions.

Hamas’ allegations against Fatah marked a new level in the bitter war of words between the two groups, which have been locked in a struggle for power since Hamas won parliamentary elections in January.

Some Hamas officials charged that Mohammed Dahlan, a Fatah lawmaker and former security chief who holds sway over thousands of armed officers in Gaza, was to blame when Haniyeh’s convoy was fired upon Thursday as the prime minister returned from Egypt. Dahlan oversees the Palestinian end of the U.S.-brokered agreement last year that sought to improve the flow of people and goods through Gaza’s border crossings.

Ismail Radwan, a Hamas spokesman, called the shooting “an attempt at assassination” orchestrated by Dahlan.

Dahlan, who is considered close to Abbas and seen by some as a possible future Palestinian leader, denied the accusations and blamed Hamas for the disorder at the border crossing.

“Hamas’ allegations are simply a means of masking its failures toward the Palestinian people,” Dahlan said in a statement.

A bodyguard was killed and Haniyeh’s son and a top political advisor were slightly injured during the incident.

Dozens of Palestinian militants stormed the border terminal and opened fire after Israel closed the crossing to block Haniyeh from returning with suitcases that held $35 million. The money was donations to the Palestinians that Israeli officials said was destined for use in terrorism. The Palestinian leader later was allowed to enter Gaza without the money, which was left in Egypt.

Abbas’ Presidential Guard, which is responsible for security at the border crossing, denied targeting Haniyeh. The scene at the border terminal was described as pandemonium, with militants firing weapons and smashing windows, computers and other equipment.

Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide and chief Palestinian negotiator, said that the allegations against Dahlan amounted to a death threat. Abbas on Friday ordered an investigation of the incident.

Abbas’ aides have been saying for more than two weeks that he would address the fraying political situation. Erekat said Abbas would proceed despite tensions heightened by recent violence, including the fatal shootings in Gaza this week of three boys, all younger than 10, who were the sons of a Fatah intelligence official.

Abbas has said his attempts to reach agreement with Hamas on a power-sharing arrangement have hit a dead end. Aides said last week he was leaning toward calling early elections for parliament and the presidency.

But Hamas says Abbas lacks authority to call new elections for parliament, where it holds a majority of seats and therefore could veto a replacement government should Abbas sack the Hamas Cabinet. Hamas leaders say they would vigorously resist new elections.

Going to early elections would represent an act of desperation and a huge gamble for Abbas, who is viewed almost universally as a weak leader and vulnerable to being toppled by Hamas at the polls. A loss would leave Israel and the West with no one on the Palestinian side with whom to do business, because they consider Hamas a terrorist group and refuse to deal with it.

Abbas might well settle for a less-drastic step, such as urging new talks on a unity government while threatening elections if they fail. Or he could ask voters to decide whether to hold early elections.

Months of factional negotiations proved fruitless, mainly because of Hamas’ refusal to recognize Israel, renounce violence and abide by past agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.

Hamas is under pressure to meet those three conditions to end the months-old embargo on aid from the West. The aid cutoff, along with Israel’s decision to withhold about $50 million monthly in tax revenue and customs duties, has been a blow to the Palestinian economy and left the government unable to fully pay its 165,000 employees.

ellingwood@latimes.com

Special correspondents Rushdi abu Alouf in Gaza and Maher Abukhater in Ramallah contributed to this report.