Fatah official held in Gaza by Hamas

Hamas gunmen burst into the home of a top Fatah official in Gaza City and arrested him, relatives said. Omar Ghoul was the most senior Fatah politician to be detained since Hamas forces took over the Gaza Strip in June.

Ghoul, arrested on charges of “illegal activities,” had been spending much of his time in the West Bank but was in town to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.

He is an advisor to Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who formed a caretaker government in the West Bank after Hamas’ Gaza takeover. Ghoul frequently criticizes Hamas in a column he writes.

Meanwhile, a blast killed three people at a funeral in Gaza City. Witnesses said a man accidentally set off explosives, but Hamas security said a procession member threw a pipe bomb.