RAFAH, Gaza Strip | Hamas crushed an al Qaeda-inspired group in an hours-long standoff that came to a fiery end when a large explosion killed the radical Muslim group’s leader inside his Gaza home Saturday.
The fighting was sparked by a rebellious sermon from the group’s leader, and his dramatic death put an end to the greatest internal challenge to Hamas’ rule since it took control of Gaza two years ago.
In all, the fighting claimed 24 lives - the highest death toll in the territory since the Israel-Hamas war earlier this year.
The crackdown targeted Jund Ansar Allah, or the Soldiers of the Companions of God, one of a number of small, shadowy groups even more radical than Hamas. The decisive confrontation, in which 95 group members were arrested, solidified Hamas’ iron rule in Gaza.
The radical groups have sought to expand the Palestinians’ battle beyond Israel to include the Western world as well. And in Gaza they have tried to enforce an even stricter version of Islamic law than Hamas and have attacked Internet cafes and wedding parties over behavior they consider improper.
The crackdown highlights Hamas’ desire to distance itself from militants espousing al Qaeda’s ideology and to appear more moderate to the West, though the United States, Israel and others consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
The fighting broke out late Friday when Hamas security forces surrounded a mosque in the southern Gaza town of Rafah on the Egyptian border where about 100 members of Jund Ansar Allah were holed up.
Their leader, Abdel-Latif Moussa, provoked Hamas by declaring Gaza an Islamic emirate during a Friday prayer sermon and daring its leaders to invade his mosque.
They did, setting off a fierce gunbattle. Flares lit up the sky and the sound of machine-gun fire echoed throughout the night.
Mr. Moussa escaped with some bodyguards to his home where another standoff ensued. Early Saturday, an explosives vest was detonated as Hamas was trying to convince Mr. Moussa to surrender, said Ihab Ghussein, a Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman.
“The so-called Moussa has committed suicide … killing a mediator who had been sent to him to persuade him and his followers to hand themselves over to the government,” Mr. Ghussein said.
Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said 24 people were killed, including six Hamas police officers and an 11-year-old girl. At least 150 people were wounded, he said.
Hamas confirmed one of its casualties was a high-ranking commander, Abu-Jibril Shimali, who Israel said orchestrated the capture three years ago of Sgt. Gilad Schalit, an Israeli soldier who is still being held by Hamas.
Jund Ansar Allah first came to public attention in June after it claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to attack Israel from Gaza on horseback. The group claims inspiration from al Qaeda’s ultraconservative brand of Islam, but no direct links have been confirmed.
Israel has charged that terrorists with links to Osama bin Laden have infiltrated Gaza. Hamas has denied this, while trying to distance itself from the more radical groups.
This weekend’s violence marked the most serious internal opposition Hamas has faced since it seized control of Gaza and ousted its rivals in the Fatah movement in a five-day civil war in June 2007.
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