Palestinian militants attack school festival
POSTED: 3:32 a.m. EDT, May 7, 2007

Story Highlights• Bodyguard of a Fatah lawmaker killed, six others wounded
• Muslim extremists said a festival the school was hosting was un-Islamic
• Protesters accused the top U.N. Gaza official of weakening people's Islamic faith
• Same bombers of Internet cafes and pool halls in Gaza believed responsible

From Isra Muzaffar
CNN

GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Palestinian militants on Sunday attacked a United Nations school festival in southern Gaza, killing the bodyguard of a Fatah lawmaker, according to Palestinian security and medical sources.

Six others were wounded in the incident at the al-Umariya School in Rafah, near the Gaza-Egypt border, the sources said.

The gun and homemade bomb attack on the school began with a protest by Muslim extremists in long robes, who said a festival the school was hosting was un-Islamic, according to The Associated Press.

One protester's sign said the U.N. "is turning schools into nightclubs," AP reported.

Protesters also accused the top U.N. official in Gaza, John Ging, who was in the school, of leading a movement to weaken people's Islamic faith, AP said.

An hour before the attack, about 50 Salafist militants had been prevented by security guards from entering the school and distributing fliers protesting the festival, security sources said.

Officials from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) -- both Palestinian and foreign -- attended the festival, which consisted of sports and cultural skits.

As everyone began to leave at about 1 p.m. (1000 GMT), the militants detonated explosive devices and began opening fire. The bodyguard of Palestinian Legislative Council member Majed Abu Shamaleh was shot and killed in the attack, an aide to Abu Shamaleh told CNN.

Security guards protecting the festival returned fire. The six wounded include students' relatives, as well as militants, according to Abu Shamaleh's aide.

The shooting appeared to be carried out by the same extremists behind a string of bombings of Internet cafes and pool halls in Gaza, said Abu Shamaleh.

Police said they were interrogating two of the gunmen.