Israel said some 150 Fatah members who sought refuge from Gaza will be returned to the West Bank amid concerns that those who had returned to the Hamas-ruled territory were in mortal danger. The announcement reverses a previous decision that the 180 or so members of the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's party who had fled Gaza into Israel on Saturday should be returned to Gaza, and not transferred to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Fatah members had fled the Gaza Strip following a day of deadly clashes with their bitter Hamas rivals. The Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak held talks with Palestinian officials yesterday in order to convince them to allow the refugees entry" to the West Bank city of Ramallah, his ministry said in a joint statement with the army. More than 20 fugitives, including Ahmed Hilles, the head of a powerful pro-Fatah clan in Gaza City, who were hospitalised for wounds inflicted in the fighting, will remain in Israel until they recover.
Others were being held and questioned by the Israeli army, a spokesman said. Around 35 Fatah members were transferred to Gaza yesterday where they were immediately detained for questioning by security forces run by Hamas. "Israeli authorities halted the process, however, as they received information that they were being arrested by Hamas and that their lives were in immediate danger. The Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said those accused of breaking the law "will be investigated and if found to be guilty they will be brought to justice".
"Those who are proved innocent will be released," he added. On Saturday, Mr Abbas asked that the Palestinians be allowed to cross into Israel after 11 people - mainly Fatah members - were killed in clashes with Hamas forces seeking to arrest suspects in a July 25 bombing. Hamas claimed Fatah was behind a beachside bombing that killed five senior militants and a little girl. Israel's about-turn also follows an urgent appeal to the Supreme Court by Israel's Human Rights Association, which said the Fatah members would be at mortal risk if returned to Gaza.
*AFP