The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip said Saturday that the "revolutionary stream" - as former Gaza Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan's supporters are called - were responsible for the blast on Gaza's beach Friday night that left five Hamas men and a 4-year-old girl dead. The blast occurred at about 8:30 P.M. at the Khalil cafe, a known meeting place for Hamas men. It was followed by the toughest crackdown against Fatah in recent months.
The dead are Sarin a-Safadi, the 4-year-old; Nihad Masbakh, considered the head of the military wing of Hamas in the Shajaiyeh district of Gaza City; Iyad al-Hayeh, a nephew of one of Hamas' leaders in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayeh (whose son was also seriously injured in the blast); Nidal al-Mbayid and Osama al-Khalu. The identity of the fifth Hamas man is unknown.
More than 20 Palestinians were injured, mostly passers-by.
The explosive charge was set off under a car belonging to one of the Hamas men, which was parked outside the coffee shop.
Sources in Hamas said the Palestinian Authority television in Ramallah broadcast pictures of the car hit in the Gaza blast accompanied by joyful music.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh convened an emergency government meeting on Saturday, after which he issued a statement blaming Fatah for the bombing. The statement called on the Gaza authorities to find the people involved in "the horrible crime yesterday."
"Those guilty will be subject to justice in order to be an example for anyone who might think to shed the Palestinian blood," the statement read. If convicted, the perpetrators could face the death penalty.
Earlier Saturday, Hamas security forces arrested dozens of Fatah supporters, hurled grenades at the home of one Fatah leader and set up checkpoints across Gaza in a crackdown on the rival faction.
A Gaza-based human rights group reported Hamas security officials arrested at least 160 Fatah loyalists, and some 40 institutions connected to the group were raided. Fatah leaders said more than 200 of its people were rounded up, including its top leader in Gaza, Ahmad Nasser.
Fatah leaders denied involvement in the explosion, and an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the consequent crackdown was reducing prospects for eventual reconciliation between the rival groups.
If Hamas was in fact targeted, it would be the deadliest such attack since the Islamic militants ousted Fatah-allied security forces from Gaza in a violent takeover more than a year ago.