Supporters of the Fatah movement carried out a protest action in the Gaza Strip on Friday, but their demonstration was violently broken up by Hamas security forces, reports from the region informed.

Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Gaza City and Rafah to demonstrate against alleged human right violations and political propaganda spread in mosques by the Islamic movement.

More than a dozen persons were injured in the clashes that erupted after members of Hamas Executive Force tried to disperse the protesters. Hospital sources said at least three Palestinians have been wounded in Gaza City and ten in Rafah, a town located on the Gaza-Egypt border.

One journalist was also injured in Gaza City when demonstrators clashed with security forces and attacked them cu improvised explosive devices.

Fatah’s supporters are displeased with what they call “Hamas' inflammatory propaganda inside the mosques” and decided to hold their prayers on the streets instead of the holy sites.

But those prayers soon turned into fierce clashes, supporters of the Palestinian organization led by Farouk Kaddoumi throwing hand grenades at the Hamas servicemen that used teargas and warning shots to break up the riots.

According to witnesses, media representatives were stopped from filming the incidents by Hamas gunmen. This is the second demonstration that ends with violence in Gaza in less than a month.

The turmoil flared up after Hamas seized control of the salient in mid-June by ousting Fatah security forces. Fierce clashes took place between members of Hamas’ armed wing and Fatah security servicemen for several days until the Islamist movement claimed it controls Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took immediate action and withdrew all Fatah members from the unity government formed last January, when Hamas won the parliamentary elections.

A new administration was formed in the West Bank, Abbas naming Salam Fayyad as the new prime minister in the place of Ismail Haniyeh, who constantly accused Fatah of illegally forming the caretaker government.