<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> WorldTribune.com: Mobile Ñ Hamas revises civilian casualty estimates for 2009 war

Hamas revises civilian casualty estimates for 2009 war

Thursday, June 4, 2009   E-Mail this story   Free Headline Alerts

GAZA CITY Ñ Hamas has significantly revised the makeup of its casualty toll for the 2009 war with Israel, which it has maintained killed primarily civilians.

Hamas officials said some 500 of the more than 1,000 casualties in the war were soldiers and security officers. The regime said the casualties also included senior officials, such as the director-general of the police, Maj. Gen. Tawfiq Jaber.

In a briefing in May for Arab journalists, the officials said about half of the casualties in the 2009 war consisted of combatants.

During and after the war, Hamas had said the lion's share of casualties were civilians.

[On June 4, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority continued to clash in the West Bank. PA forces and a Hamas cell engaged in a gun battle in the West Bank city of Kaliklya, where six people had been killed on May 31.]

Hamas police spokesman Islam Shahwan told the briefing that the police and military infrastructure was destroyed by Israeli air strikes. Shahwan said 100 police and security facilities were struck by an Israel Air Force armada of 60 F-16 multi-role fighters in late December 2008. Only five security posts were spared.

The damage was said to have included 65 police stations and 35 Executive Force and Civil Defense compounds. Shahwan said these buildings were destroyed and forced Hamas officers to operate from their homes.

Shahwan said Hamas has determined that it would require $400 million to rebuild the security facilities. He said Israel has not allowed the entry of construction material or equipment into the Gaza Strip.

"There were around 105 security posts in Gaza Strip; the oldest and the biggest security compound was called Al Saraya security service compound in the middle of Gaza City," Shahwan said. "It is now a pile of rubble."

In May 2009, the Interior Ministry held an exercise that simulated an Israeli air attack on the Gaza Strip. Officials said the exercise was meant to test the resiliency of Hamas police, fire and emergency services.

"We have an emergency plan as a precaution to protect ourselves and our people from any further attacks," Shahwan said.

Hamas has reported a 13,000 member security force in the Gaza Strip, with a population of 1.5 million. Officials said 9,000 were listed as police officers, with the rest working for the security services.

"We believe that we are still able to control our work and perform quite well despite many difficulties, such as losing most of our posts and vehicles," Shahwan said. "But step by step we will rebuild our service again."

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