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Hamas warns Abbas over government

Hamas' exiled political chief warned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas not to make changes in the Palestinian government without consulting it first -- the first clear sign Hamas plans to play hardball as both sides begin to jockey over the next Palestinian government.

Political leader Khaled Mashaal also again declared that Hamas would not bow to Arab and international pressure to recognize Israel and that the group -- once in power -- not act to prevent militant attacks on the Jewish state.

The tough stance on Wednesday came after a three-day visit by Hamas' leadership for talks with Egyptian officials, the militant Palestinian movement's first diplomatic foray seeking Arab support since their surprise victory in elections last month.

The smaller group Islamic Jihad, meanwhile, declared it would forge ahead with attacks against Israel -- signalling that even if Hamas eventually bows to pressure, other Palestinian radicals won't. Jihad has been responsible for all six suicide bombings since Palestinian factions agreed to a ceasefire a year ago.

Mashaal issued a strong warning to Abbas, known by his nickname Abu Mazen, not to make political changes behind Hamas' back.

"This is a message to Abu Mazen and other brothers in the authority to stop issuing decrees and decisions [before consulting with us] ... as if to throw them in our face,'' Mashaal told journalists in Cairo. "We will not deal with them as legitimate ... no one can deceive us."

The warning was a reaction to reports that Abbas would try to wrest control of security forces from a Hamas-led government. Palestinian papers reported Abbas planned to appoint Interior Minister Nasser Youssef as deputy commander of the Palestinian security forces. An official in Abbas' office denied the reports.

Under Palestinian law, Abbas, as president of the Palestinian Authority, is responsible for foreign intelligence and national defense, while the yet-to-be-named prime minister is responsible for internal security, police and civil defense.

Saeb Erekat, senior Fatah official, said it was "too early for Mr. Mashaal to jump to conclusions about various appointments."

The Hamas leaders are traveling next to the Gulf nation of Qatar and will make stops in Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Another top Hamas leader said earlier Wednesday that Jamal al-Khudairi, an independent legislator and businessman who was backed by Hamas, would be named Palestinian prime minister.

Al-Khudairi, about 50, is board chairman of Gaza's Islamic University and owns the biggest mattress factory in the West Bank and Gaza.

Meanwhile, two masked gunmen kidnapped an Egyptian diplomat yesterday as he traveled in his car to the Egyptian representative office in Gaza City, another Egyptian diplomat in Gaza said.

The gunmen shot out the tires of consular official Hussam Almousaly's car and seized him, the second diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The identity of the gunmen or their motive was not immediately known. Witnesses said Almousaly was abducted 200m from his office, which is under 24-hour guard.

In other developments, two Palestinians armed with an explosives belt attacked the Erez checkpoint between Israel and Gaza before daybreak Thursday, and were killed in an ensuing shootout with Israeli troops, the military said.

The Palestinians threw hand grenades and opened fire on Israeli forces guarding the checkpoint, and soldiers shot the attackers, killing both, the military said.

A spokesman for Gaza militants said two fighters of the Popular Resistance Committees and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Fatah, had been killed.
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