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Hamas leader and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners June 10, 2006 |
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| Hamas demonstration (AP) |
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared on Saturday he would hold a referendum July 26 on the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, hours after the ruling Hamas group fired rockets at Israel, bringing an official end to a 16-month-old truce. But Hamas leader and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh immediately rejected the referendum.
Abbas' declaration came a day after an explosion killed eight civilians picnicking on the Gaza beach. Palestinians blamed the blast on Israel. Abbas called the incident a "massacre." The IDF is probing the incident.
The incident prompted Hamas to call off the truce reached in February 2005, raising the prospect of a renewed campaign of deadly suicide bombings and bloodshed.
Abbas began his speech on Saturday by talking about Israel's attack, but brushed off Hamas' call for him to hold off on a referendum due to the renewed violence. Instead, Abbas said acceptance of the referendum would help the Palestinians achieve their dream of statehood and bring an end to debilitating economic sanctions.
"When we reach an agreement over the Prisoners Document, the siege will end," Abbas said.
Palestinians will be asked to vote "yes" or "no" on the document, which was put together by prisoners from all the factions who are serving time in Israeli jails. Prominent members of the factions, including Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, have signed onto the document.
The United States and other Western countries have slapped economic sanctions on the Hamas-led Palestinian government, demanding the Islamic group renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept past peace agreements. Hamas has so far rejected the demands.
"We reject this (Abbas') decision and the movement is currently studying its options," Sami Abu Zohri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said.
In the hours before Abbas' announcement, new violence erupted between gunmen loyal to the president and Hamas' militia.
Hamas also claimed responsibility Saturday for firing at Israel at least 15 rockets, as well as a barrage of mortar bombs. The attacks caused no casualties.
"The earthquake in the Zionist towns will start again and the aggressors will have no choice but to prepare their coffins or their luggage," the Hamas militants said in a leaflet. "The resistance groups ... will choose the proper place and time for the tough, strong and unique response."
Israel's artillery attack on Friday was part of a wider aerial and artillery bombardment of suspected Palestinian rocket-launching sites that killed a total of 10 people, three of them militants.
The violence fueled tensions already high over an Israeli airstrike on Thursday that killed the Hamas government's top militant commander, Jamal Abu Samhadana.
The explosion occurred at a beach-side picnic in Gaza. The body of Mohammed Jeneid, who has been missing since the attack, washed ashore Saturday, hospital officials said, raising the death toll to eight civilians.
Abbas condemned Friday's attack as a "genocidal crime." His rival, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, called the shelling a "war crime" and called for an end to fighting between Hamas and Fatah.
But overnight Saturday, gunmen shot and killed a 39-year-old Palestinian security officer in a botched kidnapping attempt, the Palestinian Preventive Security said. The force, loyal to Abbas, accused Hamas of the killing and vowed to "stop Hamas' game whatever the price."
During the funeral procession for Maj. Bassam Qutub, a gunbattle erupted between gunmen from Hamas and the Preventive Security force. The car of Gaza's top general, Rashid Abu Shbak, was caught in the crossfire, and he had to be rushed out of the area while under fire.
Four people were wounded in the fighting, one of them seriously, hospital officials said. Hamas gunmen were brought into the area to take up position, leading to a tense standoff with the Preventive Security officers.
Furious over Qutub's killing, Fatah boycotted on Saturday a meeting with Haniyeh. The meeting was aimed at calming the tensions between the groups, but Fatah spokesman, Tawfiq Abu Khoussa, said Hamas had committed a "number of violations" in recent days, including killing Qutub.
In Beit Lahiya, thousands of Palestinians gathered to attend the funeral procession of seven civilians killed on Friday.
Chanting "revenge, revenge" and "destroy Israel, destroy America," the mourners made their way through the town's narrow streets to the families' homes, where weeping women tried to touch the bodies of the dead.
Israel said its artillery fire was aimed at areas that Palestinian militants used to fire homemade rockets at Israel. The army opened an investigation into the incident and expressed regret over the loss of civilian life. The army said that the blast could have been caused by a stray rocket launched by Palestinians, or by ordnance on the beach.
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