Gunfire killed at least six people and wounded 80 today at a Fatah memorial rally for Yasser Arafat attended by hundreds of thousands of supporters of the defeated faction in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

A sea of yellow Fatah flags had filled a Gaza square for the biggest gathering held by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's secular faction in the territory since Hamas Islamists routed its fighters there in June.

The rare Fatah rally broke up in chaos after gunfire rang out and grew into what Hamas described as battles with the rival group's fighters, forcing even members of the crowd who had initially stood their ground to bolt for cover.

Dr Muawiyah Hassanein, head of Gaza's emergency medical services, said six people, all civilians, were killed. He said 80 people, including several Hamas security men, were wounded.

Fatah officials accused Hamas forces of opening fire from the nearby Islamic University. Hamas said its men had come under attack from Fatah gunmen and returned fire...

...Fatah nationalist songs blared from loudspeakers as many in the crowd expressed their longing for Arafat, regarded by Palestinians as a symbol of unity.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) is not like Arafat but he is our president now and we respect him. We urge him to end Hamas occupation," said a teenage participant, who gave his name only as Khaled.

... At one point the crowd began to shout "Shi'ite, Shi'ite" as an insult against Hamas which enjoys strong links with the Shia Islamic republic in Iran. Palestinians belong to the rival Sunni sect of Islam.

It is not clear if they were fired on first from inside the crowd but it is known that six members of the crowd died and at least 130 were wounded, mostly from injuries suffered in the resulting stampede...