GAZA CITY, 11 May 2007 — Hamas and Palestinian Interior Minister Hani Al-Qawasmeh yesterday criticized the launch of a security crackdown as hundreds of mainstream security officers deployed in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, who has overall control of the security services, and his long-term rival Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh had apparently given the go-ahead on Wednesday for the flagship plan to go into effect.
“The first stage of the plan began at dawn with hundreds of members of the Palestinian security forces deployed at the entrance of towns in the Gaza Strip and intersections,” an official said.
Abbas’s Fatah party and Haniyeh’s Hamas fought deadly street battles until both sides signed a cease-fire and power-sharing deal last February that saw a unity government take office the following month.
Its first major Cabinet decision was an April 14 vote to implement the plan to step up security deployments and unite rival security forces loyal to Fatah and Hamas under one umbrella.
Islamist party Hamas, the senior partner in a new national unity government, cried foul yesterday, charging that the initial security deployment had been inadequately coordinated.
“The deployment of the security forces has come as a surprise and was done without the preferable cooperation with Palestinian factions which could have supervised this plan to make it a success,” the party announced.
Islam Shahwan, a spokesman for a Hamas security service, said his Executive Force was not taking part in the first stage of the staggered plan, in what could prove an obstacle.
Qawasmeh, an independent member of the government, walked out of a meeting with Haniyeh and security supremo Rashid Abu Shbak shortly after it began apparently complaining about a lack of coordination.
“The interior minister said this (deployment) was carried out by police commanders and without cooperation with the Interior Ministry,” said Haniyeh’s spokesman Ghazi Hamad.
“The interior minister has a few problems,” he added, saying Abbas and Haniya were scheduled to meet to smoothen the cracks.
Another independent cabinet minister said earlier that the deployment had been ordered without Qawasmeh’s consent contrary to stipulations in the plan that all parties would agree.
Last month, Qawasmeh tendered his resignation over what one Interior Ministry insider blamed on to difficulties with Abu Shbak, among others.
Yesterday’s deployment was limited to Gaza City and the northern part of the territory, which is frequently used as a staging post for militants firing rockets into neighboring Israel.
Security personnel set up checkpoints on the approach to Gaza City and asked passengers of passing to show ID cards, an AFP correspondent said.
“The mission of the security services is not an easy one given the extent of the security chaos,” admitted one senior security official.
Despite repeated promises from Palestinian leaders, security services have been incapable of imposing law and order in an increasingly chaotic Gaza Strip and, to a lesser extent, in the occupied West Bank.
The security plan foresaw the formation of a national security council — grouping long-time rivals Abbas and Haniyeh with the finance, foreign, interior and justice ministers — bringing all security forces under one umbrella. Besides deadly factional fighting, insecurity in Gaza has been highlighted by a spate of kidnappings, including the abduction of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston who has been missing for almost two months.
Improving security and taking steps against militants determined to launch attacks on Israel are key conditions leveled by the Jewish state on making progress in the stalled Middle East peace process.
