Hamas militia agrees to move from public eye

Published Wednesday, June 7, 2006

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The Hamas-led government agreed today to withdraw a controversial private militia from public areas of Gaza in an agreement with the rival Fatah movement aimed at halting weeks of bloody infighting.

The black-clad Hamas militia has been at the center of the power struggle.

"They are going to be in places away from the public. They are not going to be visible to people," government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said. Under the arrangement, the militia is to be folded into the official Palestinian police force, he said.

The agreement came after hours of talks mediated by Egyptian diplomats and joined by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas official.

Hamas also agreed to withdraw the 3,000-member force from public view last week. But within days, the gunmen returned to their positions on the streets. After today’s deal was announced, the Hamas force remained in public view.

President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads Fatah, has been in a power struggle with Hamas since the Islamic group beat his party in legislative elections in January. The feud has revolved around control of the security forces.

With most security forces loyal to Fatah, the Hamas government deployed its private militia last month. Sixteen people have been killed in fighting between the sides since the Hamas force was activated.

Abbas has said the Hamas force is illegal but said it could be folded into existing security agencies.

"In this meeting, we agreed to remove all things that can lead to tensions in the Palestinian streets," said Abdel Hakim Awad, a Fatah spokesman.

The attempt to halt the violence came amid a deeper disagreement about an ultimatum by Abbas for Hamas to recognize Israel or face a referendum on the idea. Abbas has given the Islamic group until the weekend to respond.

Abbas has endorsed the plan for a united Palestinian political platform as a way out of an increasingly bloody power struggle with Hamas, which defeated his Fatah party in legislative elections earlier this year.

In the latest violence, a commander in the Fatah-dominated police force in northern Gaza said a group of gunmen tried to detonate a bomb near his house early today.

"Some gunmen set up this device near the entrance to my house. While they were doing this, it went off and one of the gunmen was injured in his hand," said the commander, Omar Khadoura.

A grenade attack yesterday on a pro-Fatah security headquarters in Gaza wounded three maintenance workers. Fatah blamed Hamas for both attacks.