Abbas blames Hamas for Gaza bombings

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday accused his Islamist Hamas rivals of carrying out a series of bombings against officials loyal to him in Gaza last week, in a move sure to harm floundering unity efforts.

A series of small explosions targeted the homes and vehicles of officials from Abbas's Fatah movement on Friday, causing minor damage but no injuries.

"Who committed this crime? The leadership of the Hamas movement did, and it's responsible!" Abbas roared to applause at a Fatah rally for Arafat in Ramallah, his seat of government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Hamas and Fatah agreed in April to form a reconciliation government to help overcome political rifts that date back to 2007, when Hamas seized power in Gaza after a weeks-long civil war with Fatah.

The parties agreed in September that Hamas would relinquish Gaza's land crossings with Israel to the unity government. Amid mutual blame, no change of guard has occurred.

Hamas denounced the remarks, which stopped short of calling for a formal break with the Gaza-based Islamists.

"Abbas's speech was aimed at causing tensions. It's a partisan and despicable speech that did not carry any good intentions, neither towards Hamas nor towards the people of Gaza," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.