Gaza celebration rally ends in gunfire

A Palestinian rally to celebrate Israel’s pull-out from Gaza ended in chaos today when a Hamas activist grabbed a microphone away from a rap singer, and police firing in the air escorted the singer away, ending a gathering that disappointed many.

No one was hurt, but the small crowd of about 2,500 people dispersed quickly after the incident. The rally was billed as a show of Palestinian unity, but most of the Palestinian political parties and militant groups stayed away, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas cancelled his appearance.