Hamas protesters, Palestinian police clash over summit

HEBRON, West Bank -- Palestinian police loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas fired automatic weapons and beat marchers with clubs during a funeral procession Wednesday for a man killed while protesting this week's U.S.-hosted Mideast peace conference.

The chaos threatened to undermine Abbas' standing in the West Bank, just as the international community stepped up its support for him in new peace talks with Israel and his struggle with Hamas militants.

Led by the Islamic militant Hamas, Palestinian hard-liners have been demonstrating all week, rejecting concessions to Israel and declaring that Abbas does not speak for them -- outlining the severe challenge Abbas faces at home.

Medics said at least 26 people were wounded, one critically, in Wednesday's West Bank violence, the second day of protests against the conference in Annapolis, Md., where Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert formally agreed to relaunch peace talks.

Olmert is also facing a challenge from Jewish settlers in the West Bank and their hard-line backers, who reject compromise with the Palestinians and are threatening to bring Olmert's coalition down.

In Gaza, Palestinian officials said an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas base killed two militants. The Israeli military said the strike was a response to rocket and mortar fire from Gaza at Israel.

In Hebron, about 5,000 people participated in Wednesday's funeral for Hisham Baradei, 36, who was shot and killed by Palestinian police Tuesday.

The procession turned violent when marchers refused to keep to a route agreed upon in advance by police, who then opened fire. Protesters hurled rocks at police, who clubbed demonstrators.

Abbas' government announced a ban on public demonstrations ahead of the Annapolis summit to keep Hamas under control.

Abbas leads an emergency government based in the West Bank, formed after Hamas violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.

The Liberation Party, a small, unarmed Islamic group, organized Tuesday's protests. But Hamas activists joined the funeral procession Wednesday in Hebron, waving green Islamic flags and hurling stones at police.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum condemned the police action as part of a "conspiracy in Annapolis." Hamas itself has shown little tolerance for dissent in Gaza, killing eight unarmed protesters at a Nov. 12 rally organized by Abbas' Fatah movement.

The protest ban and heavy-handed police tactics could undermine Abbas as he tries to rally support for peacemaking with Israel. Human rights groups have accused him of suppressing legitimate dissent.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Ashraf Ajrami, an Abbas ally, said Hamas provoked the violence, but that did not justify the use of lethal means by police.

"As long as security forces are not facing real danger, it should have been dispersed with the minimum amount of force, " he said, adding that a committee of inquiry has been set up.