Five killed in Gaza as Hamas marks victory

GAZA, Jan 26 (Reuters) Rival Palestinian factions clashed across the Gaza Strip, killing five people, as thousands of Hamas supporters marched to mark the Islamist group's election victory over Fatah opponents last year.

The escalating violence forced the postponement of talks to form a coalition government which could ease a US-led boycott imposed after Hamas won Palestinian elections last January.

''The entire dialogue could explode,'' Fatah spokesman Tawfiq Abu Khoussa said, blaming Hamas for the tension. ''How can dialogue go on when there is a bomb underneath the table?'' The talks, due to resume on Friday, were pushed back to Sunday.

Fatah gunmen killed one person when they opened fire on a car carrying Hamas supporters who were urging people to attend a rally to mark the election anniversary, spokesman for the Hamas-led Gaza security force Islam Shahwan said.

Earlier, members of the same Hamas-led force shot dead a militant from the Fatah-linked Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade who they suspected was behind a bombing on Thursday night which killed two Hamas security officials.

In Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip, a bystander was killed as Hamas gunmen besieged the house of a senior Fatah activist they blamed for the car shooting.

More than 30 Palestinians have been killed in fighting between rival groups since President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah called last month for presidential and parliamentary elections after a previous round of unity talks broke down.

Hamas has said any snap poll would amount to a coup.

Shahwan said five people were detained over yesterday night's bombing, all of them from Fatah. Security forces also tried to arrest Nabil al-Jarjir of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades but he was killed when he refused to surrender and instead opened fire.

Fatah described Jarjir's death as ''cold-blooded execution''.

The bomb blast wounded seven other people, hospital officials said. Three bystanders, including two children, were among those wounded, they added.

HAMAS ANNIVERSARY Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal pledged on Sunday to curb Palestinian bloodshed after inconclusive talks to form a unity government aimed at lifting the boycott imposed because of Hamas' refusal to recognise Israel, renounce violence and abide by interim peace deals.

Hamas, which has struggled to govern since taking office in March under the weight of the sanctions, was holding a rally in Gaza to mark a year since its January. 25, 2006, victory over Fatah.

''I can say that the parties which imposed the siege throughout the past year were unable to achieve their goals,'' Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a leading Hamas figure, told reporters after Friday prayers at a Gaza mosque.

Senior Hamas lawmaker Mushir al-Masri, speaking at the rally in Jabalya, said Hamas would stand firm against all opponents.

''I tell the Zionists, the Americans and leaders of the coup: Save yourselves, save your time and your effort because we are staying in our positions, in the government and the parliament, like the mountains of Palestine are staying in their place.'' Hamas leaders have offered a long-term truce with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, although the Islamist group's charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. Hamas continues to say that it will not formally recognise Israel.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Abbas said it should take no more than three weeks to reach agreement with Hamas on the unity government, but reiterated he would call for elections if the talks fail.

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