Palestine Liberation Organization leader Mahmoud Abbas has received a hero's welcome on a campaign trip to the Gaza Strip.

Armed militants hoisted Mr. Abbas on their shoulders as thousands of Palestinians greeted him Saturday at a refugee camp in Rafah on the Egyptian border. The camp is the scene of frequent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops.

Mr. Abbas is the front-running candidate in this month's election to choose a leader for the Palestinian Authority. He has denounced violence, but also has won crucial support from militants by promising to insist on a total Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian land.

Meanwhile, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl was killed Saturday when an explosion ripped through her home in the northern Gaza Strip. Neighbors said the explosion appeared to have been caused by a Palestinian rocket that militants had aimed at Israel.