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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Hamas still battling militias for control in Gaza border areas

GAZA CITY — Despite being in power for nearly a year, the Hamas regime continues to battle for control of the border of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has been fighting attempts by Palestinian militias to take over positions near the Gaza border, particularly with Egypt. Palestinian sources said the Hamas campaign sought to block unauthorized weapons smuggling through tunnels that connect the southern Gaza Strip to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

"Some of the militias earn big money from smuggling and allows them to pay members," a Palestinian source said.

Over the last year, Hamas has sought attempts by the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, Al Qaida-aligned Popular Resistance Committees and Fatah to control positions along the southern Gaza border. On May 2, Hamas forces battled the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine for a border position in Rafah.

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In the clash, a 55-year-old Palestinian, identified as Abdul Raouf Thabet, 55, was killed. Thabet and his family, residents of the village of Nasser in the Rafah district, were said to have been working for the PFLP's military wing, National Restrance Battalions.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights reported that Hamas and PFLP forces first clashed over a border position. Later, the dispute moved into Nasser village east of the city of Rafah, where both sides opened fire. At that point, Thabet was shot in the abdomen, pelvis, and thighs and later died in a nearby hospital.

"After the clashes, a large number of Kassam [Hamas] gunmen arrived in the area and enforced their control, searching several houses for the National Resistance Battalions members," the human rights group said. "Kassam abducted Nidal Atef Thabet, 19, and severely beat Zeyad Salem Thabet, 45, injuring him in the head."

PCHR said members of Hamas's Izzedin Kassam military wing have been raiding homes of dissidents and political opponents. The Hamas regime has established a separate police and security force.

The Palestinian sources said Hamas has modified some of the tunnels to enable fuel to be pumped from Sinai to the Gaza Strip. Despite occasional Israeli-approved shipments, the strip has been hampered by a fuel shortage.

The fuel shortage has halted public transportation and the Hamas regime has used police cars to give people free rides. Palestinian sources said the police cars could transport no more than several hundred people per day. The strip has a population of 1.8 million.



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