GAZA CITY, Oct 7: Gunmen allegedly belonging to Hamas tortured and killed the head of the Palestinian riot police on Monday, police said, triggering deadly gunbattles between police and supporters of the radical group which left four people dead.

The intra-Palestinian violence burst on to the streets in the aftermath of a devastating Israeli army raid into southern Gaza that left 14 Palestinians dead and drew swift US reprimand.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Fatah party threatened to strike with an “iron fist” those responsible for the bloody street fighting.

“Fatah will not permit anybody to weaken the internal front and will hit with an iron first those who look to launch an internal fight in the Palestinian street,” said a statement from the group.

It also prompted quick calls by other Palestinian factions for the feuding political groups to make peace and close rank ahead of what many fear is a rapidly approaching Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.

The violence started on Monday morning when, according to the police, around 20 armed Hamas members disguised as national security officers set up a road block in Gaza City to intercept Brigadier General Rajeh Abu Lehya, the 55-year-old head of the West Bank and Gaza riot police.

They stopped several cars and when they came across his, one member shouted out, “This is the man,” and all the others surrounded the police chief.

Abu Lehya was taken with his two bodyguards to the Nusseirat refugee camp south of Gaza City, where the police chief was tortured and then shot 10 times, police said.

The guards were released and the car torched, police said.

Police and witnesses said the Hamas members then announced by loudspeaker that they killed Abu Lehya in revenge for the deaths of two demonstrators who died in clashes with riot police in anti-US demonstrations one year ago.

Among them was Yusef Aqel, a 21-year-old member of Hamas’s military branch in Nusseirat whose family a senior Hamas political leader said was probably responsible for the killing as he washed his group’s hands of any direct involvement in the affair.

“Hamas does not know what happened this morning and the only plausible explanation, which police are already aware of, is that it was revenge by the Aqel family,” Abdul Aziz Rantissi said.

“The police knew that the Aqel family would avenge their son ... and Hamas does not interfere in family matters,” Rantissi added.

In an initial statement, the police said that if the head of the Hamas group that carried out the killing — identified as Imad Aqel — was not handed over they would start arresting Hamas members.

However, the threat was dropped in a second statement issued shortly afterwards.

Last year’s demonstration outside Gaza City’s Islamic University, which took place the day after the United States began bombing Afghanistan, degenerated into armed clashes, with each side blaming the other for the deaths.

The police slammed Monday’s attack, accusing Hamas of trying to undermine Palestinian unity at a time when Israel is stepping up raids into Gaza.

“Hamas wants with this action, targeting a hero, to create an internal struggle, which Israel has failed to do,” the police said.

The street fighting ignited shortly after the killing when police clashed with Hamas loyalists as they tried to arrest at least one militant who had allegedly fired on a patrol.

More Hamas members and supporters came to attack the police, with one of the militants shooting at the officers, injuring two of them.

Police returned fire and killed two men, Mahmud al-Borno, 27, and Mohammed Hejazi, 30. Another 17 people were injured in the clashes in central Gaza City, among them several bystanders, witnesses said. said.

Masses of young people from the camp were throwing stones at rows of Palestinian police shelteried behind their riot shields.

Police set up roadblocks through the Gaza City area, with several of the checkpoints stoned by children.

Another hardline group, Islamic Jihad, called on both sides to stop the violence, saying it played into the hands of the Israelis, who launched a devastating raid into the southern town of Khan Yunis that left 14 people dead.

Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as secular nationalist factions, vowed bloody revenge for the tank and helicopter raid. —AFP