(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Khaled Abu Toameh - The new Palestinian Authority government, headed by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, has appealed to some Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Algeria, to support its effort to assume control of Gaza. There are increased signs that the PA's General Intelligence Service (GIS) is trying to establish a security presence in some parts of Gaza. Recently, Hamas announced that its men arrested several GIS members who "infiltrated" into northern Gaza. Two GIS agents were reportedly shot dead by Hamas terrorists. The PA said the men were part of a security detail accompanying humanitarian convoys entering Gaza through Egypt. Prior to Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza in 2007, the PA had thousands of security officers and civil servants in Gaza. Most of them continued to receive salaries from the PA after the Hamas "coup" that toppled the PA. The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Center.
2024-04-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive