Hamas police in Gaza releases 60 Fateh men

Saturday August 09, 2008 06:02 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian security sources in the Gaza Strip reported that the Hamas police and security forces released on Friday 60 Fateh supporters who were arrested in recent days after interrogation revealed that they were not involved in the recent explosions in Al Shujaeyya neighborhood in Gaza. 

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The police stated that several other Fateh members and supports were released in recent days as “they were not involved in any attacks”.

Also on Friday, Ismail Radwan, one of Hamas leaders, told the Maan News Agency that the clashes left 9 Palestinians dead and that dozens of residents were wounded. He added that nearly 150 members of Hallas family, which supports Fateh movement, were arrested and 200 other were displaced due to the heavy clashes.

The Hamas police and security forces said that they attacked the neighborhood after receiving info that the family is hosting residents involved in the beach explosion in which five members of the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and one child, were killed.

Radwan stated that Hamas tried to resolve the issue peacefully without attacking the neighborhood, but there was no positive outcome which forced its security forces to attack the area and arrest the suspects.

He also said that Hamas did not rush to accuse Fateh gunmen of being responsible for the explosion, adding that the movement received information regarding intentions by Fateh gunmen to carry out several attacks in Gaza.

Radwan added that the investigation is still in its initial stages but also said that some “confessions made by some of the arrestees revealed that Fateh members are behind the explosion”.

He also denied reports that Hamas is torturing the prisoners and barring them from meeting with their lawyers. The reports were published by a number of human rights centers in Gaza.

“As far as I know, there are no violations”, Radwan stated, “Lawyers visited the prisoners, and anybody can head to out Interior ministry for any clarifications”.   

gaza strip | internal unrest | news report saed at imemc dot org