Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Abbas bans Hamas' militia; Hamas scoffs

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 7, 2007

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas defied Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' decree Saturday that its paramilitary unit is illegal, saying it will fight any attempt to disband the force in an increasingly bloody faceoff between the Islamic militant group and Abbas' Fatah party.

Three Hamas supporters were killed in the factional fighting Saturday.

The two groups have been wrangling over power since Hamas defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections a year ago and gained control over most Palestinian government functions. However, Fatah continued to dominate security forces and last spring, Hamas formed its own security unit known as the Executive Force, recruiting many former members of its military wing.

Tensions between the rival security forces erupted into large-scale fighting last month. Since then, more than two dozen people have been killed.

Abbas outlawed the Executive Force on Saturday, two days after Hamas gunmen stormed the home of a top pro-Fatah security commander and killed him and seven bodyguards.

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."

In the Hamas stronghold of Gaza, leaders of the group defiantly rejected Abbas' decree.

Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal said that Abbas was giving the green light for attacks on Hamas security men and that the unit would "deal firmly" with anyone who attacks it.

[Last modified January 7, 2007, 00:37:32]