BBC Thursday, 26 April, 2001, 12:25 GMT 13:25 UK

Fatah vows revenge for blast

Fatah believes the explosions were an assassination Activists loyal to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have threatened to avenge the deaths of four Palestinians killed by an explosion in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday night.

"This odious crime will not go unpunished," the Fatah movement warned. It said three of its members were among the dead.

The explosion in Rafah on the border with Egypt also killed a 14-year-old Palestinian boy, and wounded six others.

The exact circumstances of the blast are still unclear, but a Palestinian minister, Nabil Amr, described the explosions as "Israeli aggression".

Fatah accuses the Israeli army of detonating the explosive device by remote control.

"This crime was orchestrated by Israel's terrorist government and occupation forces," its statement said.

According to Palestinian security officials, three bombs were planted in a school. Two of them police defused, while the third exploded.

Police said the devices had been planted by Palestinian collaborators.

But other reports said a device had exploded after being prodded by local civilians and that they - not policemen - had been killed.

The Israeli army has said it had nothing to do with the explosions and was investigating the reports.

Israel is continuing the total blockade of the Palestinian territories as a security measure for the remainder of independence day.

The Israeli army controls security at all border crossings into Palestinian areas, including Rafah.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the blast underlined the need for an international protection force in the Palestinian territories.

Shooting

In other violence, Israeli soldiers have shot dead a Palestinian farmer in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said.

The man, Atef Wahdan, was reported to have been working in a citrus grove near the Israeli-Gaza border when troops on the other side of the wire fence opened fire.

An Israeli spokesman said the army fired warning shots when the man crossed the fence and then shot at him when he did not stop.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2001