Palestinian Democracy

Looks like those EU voices demanding that Hamas be recognized as a political party and not a terrorist organization must have been right.

Fatah leaders said a wave of arrests in Gaza targeted activists, including ranking party figures who had organized the rally marking the third anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death. The gathering erupted in gunfire, leaving seven people dead and dozens injured.

The radical Hamas movement has controlled Gaza since its forces in June overwhelmed fighters from the Fatah faction, which was founded by Arafat and one of whose leaders is Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hazem abu Shanab, a Fatah spokesman in Gaza, said Hamas security officers detained more than 400 party members and seized computers and documents during raids.

Fatah officials accused Hamas of opening fire on the crowd, which numbered in the tens of thousands -- Fatah's biggest gathering since losing control of Gaza.

Hamas officials said the rival faction's gunmen fired first from neighboring buildings.

Hamas officials accused the rally's organizers of stoking public disorder and said they were arresting those responsible. In a brief statement, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza denied that the arrests were politically motivated.

When is the next Palestinian election anyway?

Any bets on change?