[Jerusalem Post] Khaled Abu Toameh - Palestinian security forces loyal to Fatah blocked main Gaza Strip intersections on Sunday to protest the Hamas government's inability to pay their salaries. The protest erupted into an armed battle with members of Hamas' "Executive Force" overnight Saturday. Mohammed Shahadeh, a well-known Fatah activist, was fatally shot outside his home. Also Saturday, Palestinian officials in Ramallah said that PA Chairman Abbas had ordered the PA security forces to thwart Hamas' plan to deploy members of its Executive Force in the West Bank. Although Hamas is less popular in the West Bank than in Gaza, PA officials expressed fear that the Islamic movement was setting up a new security force in the northern West Bank. The officials were surprised when Hamas managed to bring hundreds of its gunmen to a paramilitary march in the streets of Kalkilya on Thursday when Hamas gunmen participated in the funeral of top Hamas operative Ammar Taher, who was assassinated as he walked out of a Nablus mosque.
2006-10-23 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive