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| By Associated Press January 7, 2007 |
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The Islamic terror group Hamas said it would double the size of its paramilitary force in Gaza, defying President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to outlaw the unit and raising the stakes in an increasingly bloody power struggle between the two rivals.
Three Hamas supporters were killed in continued factional fighting Saturday.
Fatah and Hamas have been wrangling for power since the Islamic group defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections a year ago and gained control over most government functions.
The dispute has centered in large part on control of the security forces. In a challenge to Fatah's domination of the security forces, Hamas formed its own unit, the so-called Executive Force, in the spring, recruiting many former members of the Hamas military wing.
Tensions between the rival security forces kept building in the streets until large-scale fighting erupted last month. Since then, more than two dozen people have been killed.
On Saturday, Abbas outlawed the Executive Force. He issued the decree two days after Hamas gunmen stormed the home of a top pro-Fatah security commander in northern Gaza, killing the man and seven bodyguards. It was the deadliest battle yet during the recent wave of infighting.
Abbas' office said the decision was made "in light of continued security chaos and assassinations of a number of our fighters ... and in light of the failure of existing agencies and security apparatuses in imposing law and order and protecting the security of the citizens."
The statement did not explicitly threaten force, saying only that the Hamas militia "will be dealt with accordingly as long as it is not immediately folded into legal security forces."
Abbas also confirmed that the U.S. is offering aid to boost the Palestinian security forces. U.S. officials said Friday that President George W. Bush is asking Congress to provide $83 million for security forces loyal to Abbas.
Late Saturday, Abbas' office said he spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, briefing her on the current situation ahead of her upcoming visit. The U.S. views Abbas, a moderate who seeks peace talks with Israel, as a legitimate negotiating partner. The U.S., Israel and EU consider Hamas a terrorist group.
Abbas claims authority over most of the Palestinian security forces, but Hamas controls the Interior Ministry, which also oversees security responsibilities. The myriad security forces were formed more than a decade ago by the late Yasser Arafat, as part of his autocratic style of rule in which he created rivalries to keep challengers at bay.
After years of corruption and fighting with Israel, the forces have become largely ineffective, fueling widespread lawlessness, particularly in Gaza. When Hamas formed its new unit, it said the move was needed to impose order.
In Gaza, Hamas' stronghold, leaders of the group defiantly rejected Abbas' decree.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal said Abbas was giving the green light for attacks on Hamas security men and that the unit would "deal firmly" with anyone who attacks it. He also announced plans to double the size of the force to 12,000 members, compared with some 18,000 security men aligned with Fatah.
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas backed the Executive Force and accused Abbas of deepening the rift between the two camps.
"I'm completely convinced that there are those who don't want the Palestinian scene to enjoy calm and stability or to create the appropriate atmosphere for starting serious and deep dialogue aimed at reaching a national unity government," he said.
Abbas has been urging Hamas to join Fatah in a coalition in hopes of ending international isolation and sanctions against the current Hamas-led government. But months of negotiations broke down in late November, sparking the latest wave of violence.
Abbas wants to restart peace talks with Israel, while Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction, refuses to recognize Jewish state's right to exist.
Abbas has in the past unsuccessfully tried to disband the Hamas militia, and later agreed to integrate the force into existing security units. Those efforts also failed.
Hamas officials said they were open to such an idea, but only if Abbas announces a massive overhaul of the current command structure.
Abbas' decree said the president plans a reshuffle of the commanders, but gave no details.
Several days ago, Abbas appointed Brig. Gen. Jamal Kayed, a Fatah loyalist, to head the National Security force in Gaza, filling a vacant post. Kayed, a former presidential bodyguard, is believed to have generally good relations with Hamas.
Late Saturday, three members of a pro-Hamas family were killed by gunmen from a rival clan considered to be Fatah supporters, witnesses and family members said. The same Fatah family has kidnapped about 10 Hamas supporters in recent days, Hamas officials said.
Hamas' radio station in Gaza said one of the dead was a member of the Executive Force.
The Palestinian infighting has been largely confined to Gaza, but in recent days has begun to spread to Judea and Samaria (West Bank) with a series of kidnappings and shootings.
On Saturday, gunmen in Judea and Samaria stopped the car of Nablus' deputy mayor, Mahdi al-Khamdali of Hamas, pulled him out and took him away in a separate car, security officials said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the officials said they believed the kidnappers were Fatah supporters.
Also in Nablus, a pro-Hamas university professor was shot and seriously wounded by gunmen who fired at his home late Saturday, security officials said.
In Ramallah, gunmen stormed the offices of the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry, shot the office manager in the legs and took him away, Palestinian security officials said. The man, also a Hamas supporter, was released in a nearby town and hospitalized, the officials said.
In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak called on the Palestinians to urgently halt their fighting. Mubarak urged factions to "place Palestinian interests above any other considerations and work together," the official MENA news agency said. |
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