Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas declared Hamas� paramilitary militia in the Gaza Strip illegal. Hamas won parliamentary elections a year ago while the Fatah president was elected in a separate presidential vote, and claimed authority over most of the security forces. However, Hamas form its own security force, and the two have been locked in violent factional fighting since the president called for early elections to replace Hamas in mid-December.

Abbas� recent announcement on the legality of Hamas came two days after members of their security forces (called the �executive force�) killed a senior security commander loyal to Fatah and seven of his bodyguards at his home in Gaza. ��President Mahmoud Abbas decided to reshuffle the security forces and its leadership and to consider the (Hamas) executive force, officers and members, illegal and outside the law,� Abbas� office said in a statement.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to release $100 million in tax revenue, which Israel has withheld from Palestine, to President Abbas, bypassing Palestine�s Hamas government. Israel has also approved an Egyptian arms shipment of 2,000 automatic rifles, 20,000 ammunition clips, and two million bullets to Abbas’ Fatah party. Referring to Fatah and Hamas, a senior Israeli Defense Ministry official said Israel supports the “forces of peace” against the “forces of darkness”. To me, that sounds more like the KKK approving an arms shipment to support the Bloods over the Crips.

Abbas also confirmed that President George W. Bush was planning to provide Fatah security forces with $83m. Hamas sees Abbas as a puppet to Israeli and American interests because of such support. The US, Israel, and the EU view Abbas as a legitimate negotiating partner and the democratically elected Hamas party as a terrorist group.

President Abbas has agreed in recent months to integrate Hamas� executive force into his existing security forces, but has been unsuccessful in doing so. As a result of Abbas� new decision to declare the executive force illegal, Hamas has said it would double the size of the militia. Islam Shahwan, a spokesman for the Hamas executive force, said: “A decision was taken to increase the number of the executive force to 12,000. We call upon all sincere citizens to prepare themselves to join the force.”

Three members of a pro-Hamas family were killed by pro-Fatah gunmen earlier today. Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas accused Abbas of deepening the rift between the two parties. �I�m completely convinced that there are those who don�t want the Palestinian scene to enjoy calm and stability or to create the appropriate atmosphere for starting serious and deep dialogue aimed at reaching a national unity government,� he said. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel, while Abbas wants to restart previously unsuccessful peace talks.

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