Hamas pardons ten senior Fatah leaders arrested in Gaza

On its first day of full rule in Gaza, Hamas announced Friday that it would grant amnesty to 10 senior Fatah leaders it had earlier seized in the Gaza Strip.

Abu Obeideh, a spokesman for the Islamic group, said the detainees would be released, adding that "this is a new stage of tolerance and appeasement, commanded by Allah."

The detainees included the commander of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Presidential Guard, Mohammed el-Presi, his deputy and PA National Security Organization Commander Jamal el-Qaid.

Disconnect from Gaza or talk to Hamas? A senior Fatah spokesman, a lawmaker and six other officials were also arrested.

Obeideh said Hamas would "offer amnesty" to all those who are with different opionions. "Our battle is not with Fatah...but with the group that tried to implement an external agenda," he said. "We protect our people's right, everywhere and anyone...regardless of their affiliation to move freely."

However, Hamas also said that a Fatah supporter was thrown to his death by the family of a man he was accused of having killed earlier. Elsewhere, a senior Fatah official committed suicide after learning he was on Hamas's wanted list, Fatah said.

Abu Obeideh also called for the immediate release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston, who was kidnapped in March and is believed held by a powerful Gaza clan whose members had ties to both Hamas and Fatah. "We will not allow for his continued detention," Abu Obeideh said of Johnston.

Hamas also announced that it had seized weapons and armor, including 100 Kalashnikov rifles, rocket propelled grenades and mortar shells, from Abbas's Preventive Secuirty Force.

Earlier Friday, a Hamas leader in the Strip said that it was "now the end of secularism and heresy in the Gaza Strip."

Niza Il'an, one of the group's Gaza chiefs, told a Hamas television station that the group would "welcome with open arms anyone who repents."

Il'an boasted that he planned to pray Friday in Abbas's compound, which Hamas fighters took over the previous night, adding that the captured Preventative Security headquarters would be turned into a massive mosque.

Another senior Hamas official, Buhir al-Masri, said that Abbas's decision Thursday night to declare a state of emergency "does not solve the crisis but only complicates it."

Hours earlier, PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh announced that he would continue to hold on to his position in the unity government despite a "presidential decree" issued the previous night by Abbas during which he dissolved the Hamas-led government.

The government will continue to function and to fulfill its role, Haniyeh told reporters.

According to PA officials, Abbas informed representatives of the Quartet of his decision and asked for their backing.

Abbas phoned US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and briefed her on the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, the officials added. They said Abbas was also planning to call for deploying an international force in the Gaza Strip to restore law and order.

"President Abbas has decided to fire the government," said one official. "Ismail Haniyeh is no longer the prime minister and soon there will be a new government."

Officials were doubtful that the international community would be willing to risk its troops in the region. US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that although the US would consider any such proposal, it was unlikely that any country would be ready to volunteer forces.

"We'll, of course, take a look at whatever the Secretary General has to propose. And I have to confess I haven't seen any details of such a proposal. But I would, just as an initial reaction, put out for you that I think it would be difficult to find forces that would be ready and effective in going into such a clearly non-permissive environment," said McCormack.

Abbas's decision was made after two days of intensive discussions with Fatah leaders, who exerted heavy pressure on him to fire Haniyeh's government.

Some of the Fatah leaders went as far as threatening to declare an open revolt against Abbas unless he began taking a series of measures in response to Hamas's massive offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas scoffed at Abbas's decision and expressed doubt that he would be able to implement it.

"How can you declare a state of emergency if you don't have a government to enforce it?" asked Hamas legislator Salah Bardaweel. "Only a government can enforce a state of emergency."

Bardaweel pointed out that in any case a new government would have to be approved by the Palestinian Legislative Council, which is still dominated by Hamas.

He said that the situation in the Gaza Strip was improving now that Hamas was in full control. "Now we can start implementing our security plan for imposing law and order," he said. "We even have no problem coordinating it with Fatah."

According to Israel Radio, Hamas's spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, rejected Abbas's announcement shortly afterward, claiming that according to Palestinian law, Abbas could not set up an emergency government.

The Syrian-based deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said Thursday night there would be no change in Gaza's status, no Islamic rule declared in Gaza and ruled out Hamas separating Gaza from the West Bank.

He said Abbas's decision to fire his Hamas prime minister would complicate matters and that Haniyeh would likely continue on the job.

"Gaza will remain Gaza and there will be no changes in its future and will continue to be linked to the West Bank whether he (Abbas) removed the government or not."

He rejected talk of declaring an Islamic state in Gaza. "This talk has no basis... We are committed to the rules and basic laws organizing the Palestinian Authority," he said.

this is a new stage of tolerance and appeasement, commanded by Allah.

LOL Tolerance! Hamas actually said APPEASEMENT commanded by Allah!? Now we know who the "god" of the democrats is.

Hamas doesn’t realize it but not only did they lock themselves in the Gaza Prison, they threw away the key in order to keep others from entering.

They're smarter than many people realize. By kicking Fatah out of the strip they've forced the rest of the world to deal with them. What's interesting is that they immediately reached out to Israel to try to continue the electricity and services provided by the Israelis.

Nobody likes them, but now the world can't ignore them anymore. It also forces the rest of the world to prop up Abbas in the West Bank because the alternative is the growth of fanaticism in the West Bank. How much do you want to bet that Candy and Jorge run over the Israelis hurrying to make a deal with Fatah? I wonder if Abbas and gang planned this?

Israeli politicians must be furious.

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