[Reuters] Adam Entous and Nidal al-Mughrabi - Forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas are pushing ahead with expansion plans despite a unity government deal. In Jericho a base is under construction for Abbas' presidential guard and a "college" for his intelligence service. The presidential guard has also set up a training camp next to the Karni commercial crossing in Gaza. Hamas has likewise been busy building up its own "executive force" to 12,000 members, double the current size. "The Mecca agreement may look good, but on the ground it's not doable. The mobilization is still the same, the preparation is still the same, on both sides," said Zakaria al-Qaq, a security expert at al-Quds University. Israeli intelligence services believe Hamas is stockpiling weapons for another round of fighting, either with Fatah or Israel.
2007-03-05 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive