Hamas supporters demonstrate hand in hand in the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday. Security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas opened fired on a Hamas rally in the West Bank on Friday and firefights erupted between the rival groups in Gaza, pushing the Palestinians closer to civil war. -Xinhua

Inter-Palestinian fighting moved from the media to the streets on Friday following an alleged assassination attempt against Prime Minister Ismail Haneya late Thursday who was on his way back to Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.

The convoy of Haneya was attacked by unknown militants Thursday night shortly after he entered into the coastal strip via Gaza-Egypt Rafah terminal, killing one of his bodyguards and wounding five people, including his son and an advisor.

Militants and supporters of rivals Hamas and Fatah movements clashed in the Gaza Strip and West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday.

Medical sources said about 35 were wounded, mostly in Ramallah when security members loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas attacked Hamas members who took to the streets to mark the ruling party's19th anniversary.

Following the incident, tension between rival Hamas and Fatahmovements mounted in Gaza and Hamas deployed dozens of itsmilitants in several streets and public places in the Gaza Strip.

Abbas has, meanwhile, approved to from an independent committee to investigate the shooting against Haneya who returned to Gaza after wrapping up his first trip abroad since assuming power in late March.

The chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Abbas has ordered Interior Minister Said Siam, also a senior leader of Hamas, to form an independent investigation committee.

Hamas accused Mohammed Dahlan, a senior Fatah leader, of backing the assassination attempt which was rejected by Dahlan, saying that Hamas was trying to export its crisis to the Palestinian street.

Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told a news conference in Gaza that "We thank our god that our leader, Prime Minister Haneya, has survived a yellow assassination attempt by malicious handful led by Mohammed Dahlan."

It is the first time that such direct accusation is made against a senior Fatah official by the governing Hamas.

Erekat, who is also a Fatah top official, considered remarks by Hamas spokesman against Dahlan as direct incitement to kill Mohammed Dahlan.

The surge of violence came one day before Abbas is due to deliver a speech about the political crisis in the Palestinian territories since Hamas took office. Erekat confirmed that Abbas would address the nation as scheduled.

Late on Thursday, Haneya crossed into Gaza after being blocked for several hours as Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz instructed his army to close down the Rafah terminal to prevent Haneya from entering into Gaza with a large amount of money.

Haneya left Gaza on Nov. 28 and started his first tour abroad in a bid to rally support for the Palestinian cause and breaking up a political and financial blockade on the Palestinians.

The prime minister said on Wednesday that his regional tour which has taken him to Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Syria, Iran and Sudan was successful and had realized all the expected purposes.