Fatal Blast Rocks Gaza

A powerful blast ripped through an elevator at Palestinian intelligence headquarters Saturday, killing a guard and wounding six people, including the intelligence chief.

The intelligence chief, Tareq Abu Rajab, and six bodyguards and aides were in the elevator when the blast went off. Abu Rajab, who survived an assassination attempt two years ago, underwent surgery at a nearby hospital, but doctors refused to disclose his condition. The aides and guards were in serious condition.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. The explosion came at a time of growing tensions between the Hamas government and moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The intelligence service and most members of the security forces are loyal to Abbas.

Tawfiq Tirawi, deputy to Abu Rajab, hinted that Hamas could be responsible for the attack, saying the group had been responsible for a previous attempt to kill Abu Rajab two years ago.

Asked if it appeared that Hamas was also responsible for Saturday's attack, Tirawi said, "Everything is possible. I don't rule anything out for now."

The blast went off before noon Saturday. Abu Rajab and his entourage had gotten into the elevator and were close to the second floor when the explosion went off, security officials said. The explosion caused massive damage, and bomb experts were sent to the scene to investigate.

The wounded were driven to nearby Shifa Hospital in cars of the intelligence service. Fellow agents fired in the air from the windows of the vehicles to clear the way. At Shifa Hospital, dozens of security agents closed off the operating theater and jeeps blocked off access to the hospital.

Abu Rajab is a key ally of Abbas. Last week, he was sent to Jordan by Abbas to investigate suspicions that Hamas was trying to smuggle weapons into the kingdom. Abu Rajab has also been involved in security coordination with the United States.

He survived an assassination attempt two years ago when gunmen fired on his convoy. At the time, he was seriously wounded and two of his bodyguards were killed.