World

Gazans Stone Palestinian Police

By CBS Interactive Staff

March 8, 2011 / 3:58 PM EST / CBS

At least 40 people were injured Thursday in a second day of clashes in the Gaza Strip triggered by a death sentence imposed on a former Islamist activist, witnesses and medical workers said.

Palestinian police sealed off the area, preventing journalists from covering the clashes in the southern Gazan town of Rafah, which one witness said had quickly become a war zone.

Witnesses said rioters pelted Palestinian policemen with stones, injuring several.

"We have more than 40 people wounded," said a medical worker. "The injuries were mixed, some by stone-throwing, others by live ammunition. The wounded included several policemen."

Two Palestinians were killed in similar clashes Wednesday after a Palestinian court sentenced a former activist of the militant Hamas group to death over the February killing of a security officer.

About 400 protesters chanting "We want justice!" gathered Thursday outside the homes of the two youths, Ala Hams and Khamis Salameh, as a steady stream of mourners paid respects.

Later, about 100 protesters faced 200 police in a central square, tossing stones and bottles. Police struck the protesters with batons and used tear gas to disperse them.

Col. Rajeh Abu Lehieh calmed the crowd with promises that the Palestinian Authority would punish those responsible for the shooting.

More violence broke out later, and police fired live ammunition into the air and used tear gas to quell the rioters.

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who left earlier for London for talks with British leaders on the stalled Middle East peace process, has the final say on whether the death sentence should be carried out.

Earlier Thursday, police detained six journalists in the area for several hours and seized their film after they tried to cover a demonstration in which protesters marched and chanted slogans in protest against Wednesday's killings.

The demonstrators demanded a new trial for the condemned man, Raed al-Attar, 25, and two other defendants convicted of killing police officer Refat Jouda.

The three accused had been employed as security officers and were convicted of killing Jouda when he tried to arrest them on suspicion of working on behalf of Hamas.