Hamas arrested Fatah activists today—one source says dozens, another hundreds—a day after a Gaza rally turned violent, the New York Times reports. Hamas also threatened political action against the group. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a Fatah member, declared three days of mourning and compared the Hamas move to "crimes of the Israeli occupier," BBC reports.
Each group blames the other for starting Monday's violence, which left seven Fatah supporters dead. Yet Fatah remains bouyed by yesterday's turnout of 200,000 in Hamas-controlled Gaza. “Fatah succeeded in sending a message to the United States and to Israel before Annapolis, that the Gaza Strip is not only Hamas,” said one Fatah member. A US peace conference is planned for later this month. (More Hamas stories.)