Hamas, Abbas forces parade before concerned Gazans

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) – Security forces from rival Palestinian
factions paraded through the streets of Gaza on Thursday,
sometimes within feet of one another, intensifying fears of a
showdown between the heavily armed groups.

Bearded young men armed with AK-47s and dressed in military
fatigues, part of a new 3,000-strong Hamas-backed force, held
ground on many streets, while a bolstered police force loyal to
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas paraded nearby.

For residents of Gaza City, there was a mix of confusion
and concern, with some unsure exactly which armed men were
loyal to which faction, and whether the extra presence would
mean greater security or an inevitable showdown between the
groups.

“I wonder when the zero hour will come,” one passerby said
as he watched the two forces manoeuvre through Gaza City,
referring to intensifying fears of all-out conflict.

For others there was confusion.

“Are you police or are you Hamas?” an elderly man asked
gunmen as they moved down one street.

“We are the executive force,” one bearded young man from
Hamas replied, leaving 65-year-old Abu Ahmed little the wiser.

The Hamas-backed force, formed under the authority of
Interior Minister Saeed Seyam, was deployed on Wednesday in a
challenge to the authority of Abbas, whose Fatah movement was
defeated by the Islamic militant group in elections in January.

In response, Abbas ordered the deployment of a bolstered,
Fatah-loyal police force onto the streets, a show of force that
was still taking place on Thursday.

The decision marked the latest step in a deepening power
struggle between Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose
Hamas Islamic militant movement took power in March.

In parts of Gaza, members of the Hamas force stood within
feet of regular policemen. At one point, hundreds of
Fatah-loyal gunmen marched by as part of the training course.
Hamas members stood in silence but showed no sign of
responding.

“CAT AND MOUSE”

“Force 17, Force 17,” chanted the men. Force 17 is an elite
Palestinian security force loyal to Abbas.

Hamas men said they had no intention of sparking clashes.

“We were deployed in accordance with the decision by the
minister of interior,” said one Hamas commander.

“Our mission is to assist the police to do their job in
ending chaos and anarchy. We will not hesitate to do so.”

The rival displays come amid growing insecurity in Gaza,
with at least five gunmen from Fatah and Hamas killed this
month, and many more injured.

“We have become a people with two heads, Abbas and
Haniyeh,” Abu Ahmed said as he walked past the Hamas force.

“I really do not know whether those young men are a
solution to the chaos or a recipe for war.”

Palestinian political analyst Hani Habib said residents’
fears were real and legitimate. “I am also worried that
friction between the forces will lead Gaza toward catastrophe.

“It is a wrestling match between the two sides,” he said.

Hours after the Hamas force deployed on Wednesday, some of
its members forcefully ejected students demonstrating at the
Education Ministry in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.

But some Palestinians said neither force seemed intent on
fighting crime or resolving feuds, pointing out that the
equipment they were carrying — automatic weapons and hand
grenades — was more suited to fighting wars.

“It is not a recipe for internal stability,” one senior
Fatah official said referring to the Hamas deployment. “It is a
recipe for a civil war when you ask a militia to rule the
street and you ignore your own police forces.”