Hamas police in the Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip have rounded up dozens of members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s secular Fatah movement, Fatah said on Saturday.
Spokesman Hassan Ahmad told AFP the arrests on Friday took place at a ceremony in Khan Yunis in the south of the coastal enclave.
“Hamas police intervened during a ceremony to honor martyrs” killed by Israel, Ahmad said.
“They arrested dozens of people for no reason.”
Islam Shahwan, a spokesman for the Hamas Interior Ministry, said police acted because the meeting organizers had not sought permission.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
“Around 20 people were detained and later released after signing a document not to take part in unauthorized meetings,” Shahwan said.
Fatah and Hamas, which rule in the West Bank and Gaza respectfully, signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo in 2011 aimed at ending their political differences.
However, most clauses in the accord remain unimplemented.
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
