Top Abbas loyalist survives assassination attempt in Gaza

GAZA, May 20 : A top Palestinian security chief and loyalist to President Mahmoud Abbas was wounded in an apparent assassination attempt today when an elevator he was taking at his headquarters in the Gaza Strip exploded.

The incident, in which one of General Intelligence chief Tareq abu Rajab's aides was killed, could inflame tension between gunmen from Abbas's Fatah faction and militants from the rival Hamas movement which heads the government.

It followed heated gun battles between Fatah and Hamas supporters in the Gaza Strip yesterday in which five people were wounded. The fighting erupted after a top Hamas official was caught trying to smuggle 804,000 dollars into Gaza.

Rajab was taking an elevator surrounded by a phalanx of bodyguards and aides when it exploded, apparently when a bomb planted in the lift shaft was detonated, security sources said.

Abbas immediately ordered an inquiry be established to ''investigate the assassination attempt against the head of general security Tareq abu Rajab ... and to speedily punish those behind the assassination attempt''.

Rajab the head of the feared ''mukhabarat'' intelligence service was among 11 people wounded in the explosion at his heavily guarded headquarters in northern Gaza.

One of his aides, who was also his nephew, died in the blast.

Rajab and several others wounded in the explosion would be transferred to an Israeli hospital for treatment.

Security officials did not say who they suspected was behind the assassination attempt.

Rajab has often been at odds with Hamas which is in the midst of a power struggle with Abbas and his supporters over control of the security forces after winning a parliamentary election that put it in charge of the government.

Hamas was accused of being behind a 2004 assassination attempt against Rajab in which he was shot by unidentified gunmen and sustained severe wounds. Hamas denied responsibility.

RIVAL INVESTIGATIONS

The Interior Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said the blast was caused by the accidental detonation of a hand grenade carried by a member of Rajab's entourage.

''Preliminary information points to the fact that a bomb was dropped by one of Tareq abu Rajab's companions,'' Interior Ministry spokesman Khalid abu Helal told reporters.

It was not clear where the Interior Ministry had obtained its information as its officials did not have access to the scene of the explosion or details of the investigation.

Highlighting the divisions within the Palestinian Authority, two rival investigations were set up into the bombing, one by security forces loyal to Abbas and the other by members of the Hamas-led Interior Ministry.

Tension has been rising in Gaza after the Hamas-led government formed a 3,000-strong Hamas backed force, under the authority of Interior Minister Saeed Seyam, to challenge Abbas.

In response, Abbas ordered the deployment of a Fatah-loyal police unit. Fatah supporters issued a statement today saying that if the Hamas force did not disband within three days then thousands of Fatah loyalists would deploy across Gaza.

Several gun battles between Fatah and Hamas supporters erupted in Gaza yesterday after the new Hamas force began patrols earlier in the week and Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri was caught with 800,000 dollars at an Egypt-Gaza border crossing.

Hamas said Abu Zuhri was carrying Arab donations for the new government, which is desperately short of funds.

Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed not to disband his new Hamas-led security force and said he might increase its numbers in defiance of Abbas and the United States.

Adding to the tension is a financial crisis that has plagued the Hamas-led Palestinian government as the international community has cut aid until Hamas renounced violence, recognised Israel and embraced existing peace plans.

Hamas leaders have so far refused to moderate the positions of the group, which is sworn to Israel's destruction.

Reuters