[On July 28, at least two Palestinians were killed in an explosion in
the Mughazi refugee camp in the Central Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said
the casualties were identified as fighters assigned to a mission against
Israel.]
Hamad, in remarks made during the inauguration of a police facility on
July 27, said recruitment for the military would begin in late 2010. He said
the effort would begin on a voluntary basis and then lead to a draft.
"We are open to the idea of voluntary recruitment and then going to
conscription," Hamad said.
Hamas, which seized power from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, has
maintained a military and security force of more than 20,000. Officials said
the force was deemed as inadequate in wake of the 2009 war with Israel in
the Gaza Strip.
"We deny that the Interior Ministry will impose a draft on the residents
of Gaza," Interior Ministry spokesman Ihab Ghussein said hours after
Hamad's remarks.
But the official Hamas daily Al Risala quoted a source as saying that
the Islamic regime was planning a military draft. Under the plan, the
source said, young men would soon receive draft notices.
Ghussein said a Hamas committee has been examining the prospect of
recruitment for the military. The spokesman said the recommendations of the
panel would be relayed to the Interior Ministry for possible modification.
Hamad would then submit the final draft to the Cabinet.
Officials said recruitment would draw tens of thousands of young Gazans
who seek employment. More than 50 percent of the 1.5 million in
the Gaza Strip are 18 or under, with unemployment reported at about 40
percent.
This marked the first time that Hamad discussed the future of the Hamas
military, headed by chief of staff Ahmed Jabari. Hamad, appointed in May
2009, has sought to expand the security forces and early this year launched
a drive to recruit 1,000 cadets for the police.
Officials said the committee was studying the option that military
recruits would serve several months without pay and eventually receive a
salary once they completed training and began full service. They said Hamas
has already determined that the plan could add more than 10,000
soldiers to the military within 18 months.
In wake of the war with Israel, Hamas has sought to restructure and
modernize its military and security forces. Officials said training has been
accelerated and the command structure enhanced.
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