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Defiant Hamas says it will double size of Gaza force

Hamas security force members stand guard in Gaza City on Saturday. PHOTO: AP

The Islamic militant group Hamas said it would double the size of its paramilitary force in Gaza, defying Palestinian 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 on 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 him 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 US is offering aid to boost the Palestinian security forces. US officials said on Friday that President George W. Bush is asking Congress to provide US$83 million for security forces loyal to Abbas.

Late on Saturday, Abbas' office said he spoke to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, briefing her on the current situation ahead of her upcoming visit. The US views Abbas, a moderate who seeks peace talks with Israel, as a legitimate negotiating partner. The US, 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.
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