Ramallah - The Palestinian Authority (PA) Monday accused the
Islamic Hamas movement and its armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades,
of preparing to assassinate senior Palestinian officials in
the West Bank.
The plotters have been arrested, PA Secretary-General Tayeb Abdel
Rahim told a news conference.
'Following investigations, several Hamas activists have been
recently detained. They confessed that they were authorized by the
Hamas leadership abroad and by the al-Kassam militants to carry out
the assassinations,' he said.
Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in mid June 2007, after a
week of bloody internecine fighting in which its activists routed
security forces loyal to the PA and to President Mahmoud Abbas. It
has been ruling the enclave since then, and has cracked down on
Abbas' Fatah movement.
Fatah, for its part, has been arresting Hamas activists in the
West Bank, which it still controls.
Leaders of both movements are currently in Cairo holding talks to
resolve outstanding substantial issues related to reestablishing a
unity government which fell apart after the Hamas Gaza takeover.
Egypt told the two groups' negotiators that whether they agreed or
not, they should sign a reconciliation agreement on July 7. Officials
on both sides have traded accusations that each is trying to thwart
the dialogue.
'Hamas asked its militants in the West Bank to carry out the
assassinations before July 7, the date agreed upon to sign the
reconciliation agreement,' Abdel Rahim said.
He added that the PA had 'reliable and confidential information
saying that the Hamas figures were told to celebrate the success of
their assassination operations against Palestinian figures in the
West Bank at 2 pm on July 1.'
Abdel Rahim's statements came shortly after Palestinian security
apparatuses spokesman Adnan Dumiri announced that President Abbas
ordered the release of 100 Hamas members previously arrested in the
West Bank.
'Those who were detained have nothing to do with the political
leadership of Hamas, because the Hamas political leadership is still
doing its job properly without being obstructed by the Palestinian
Authority,' Abdel Rahim said.
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