Palestinian gunmen attack empty tourist resort in Gaza

Dozens of masked gunmen claiming to be members of al-Qaida stormed an empty Gaza Strip beach resort this morning and blew up a reception hall, saying they were sending a message to a close ally of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’, witnesses said.

The attack came as Abbas’ Fatah party was set to resume negotiations with the rival Hamas movement on forming a coalition government. It was the latest in a wave of politically motivated acts of violence ahead of the talks.

Officials said there were no injuries in the beach attack in Gaza City, and they were investigating the claim of al-Qaida involvement. Security officials have discounted such claims in the past.

Resort manager Yousef Sari said about 40 masked gunmen raided the building with a stern warning for Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan, an Abbas confidant.

“Tell Dahlan al-Qaida has arrived in Gaza and his property and assets are targets,” Sari quoted the attackers as saying.

Dahlan is widely rumoured to own the resort, which used to be popular with Israeli tourists in the 1990s, though he denies any business connection.

Israeli officials have long warned that al Qaida was trying to infiltrate Gaza following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the coastal strip in 2005.

Abbas also has claimed the group has established a foothold in Gaza, and al Qaida has issued statements claiming responsibility for several attacks on Palestinian officials.

However, Palestinian security officials say there is no evidence the group is operating in Gaza.

They say the claims are usually made by local militants or crime gangs trying to divert attention.

Hamas, which controls most government functions, denies any connection to al-Qaida. It says its violent tactics, which have included dozens of suicide bombings, are aimed strictly at Israel, not the Western world at large.

Dahlan is a leading critic of Hamas, and cracked down harshly on the group when he was Gaza security chief several years ago.

The Islamic group had no comment on the attack. But the violence raised tensions hours before Fatah and Hamas were to start a new round of coalition talks.

The sides have been at odds since Hamas defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections a year ago. Abbas has urged Hamas to form a coalition in an effort to end the international sanctions against the current Hamas-led government.

The talks have foundered over Hamas’ refusal to recognise Israel’s right to exist. Abbas, who wants to restart peace talks, wants Hamas to recognise former peace agreements, which would implicitly recognise the Jewish state. Hamas, which is committed to Israel’s destruction, has refused to soften its line.

Previous rounds of negotiations have flared into violence, killing 35 people since early December, and Gaza experienced an upsurge in violence ahead of today’s talks.

The negotiations come on the heels of a weekend meeting between Abbas and Hamas’ supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal, that failed to produce a coalition accord.

Despite claims of progress, hopes were dim that the new talks would yield an agreement. The sides remain at odds over the platform as well as control of the Interior Ministry, which oversees the powerful security forces.

Fatah officials said they would insist Hamas disband a militia it formed last year and incorporate its members into existing security forces.

Fatah spokesman Maher Mekdad said his party hopes for an agreement within two weeks. “The Palestinian situation is very serious and we must think of how to make an agreement instead of pushing private agendas,” he said.

Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan wouldn’t set a deadline, but said his group also hopes to reach a deal. “We must agree, there’s no other possibility,” he said.

Abbas has threatened to order new elections if a deal isn’t reached soon. Hamas says it would boycott a new vote.