New Assassination Campaign Against Hamas Backed by Palestinian Authority

5 September 2007

GAZA CITY — Fatah has launched an insurgency campaign against the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian sources said after two months of preparations, PA security agencies were targeting Hamas members for assassination.

"It's not an official campaign," a Palestinian source said. "But the PA leadership is aware of it and quietly supports it."

The sources said the insurgency campaign was led by former Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan. Dahlan fled the Gaza Strip weeks before the Hamas takeover in June 2007. He has been based in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

On Tuesday, a senior Hamas operative was killed in Gaza City in a bombing attributed to the new Fatah-led insurgency. A new group, Security Martyrs Brigades, claimed responsibility for the car bombing of Hamas operative Nasser Al Dahshan.

A statement by Security Martyrs Brigades said the bombing was meant to avenge Hamas attacks. The group said it was one of several factions that had declared war on the Hamas regime.

Another insurgency group was identified as the Revolt Brigades. The group claimed that it blew up two vehicles of Hamas's Executive Force near Gaza City on Aug. 30.

"Those who direct these cells are former Fatah commanders in the West Bank," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

In the statement, Security Martyrs Brigades cited a PA report that Hamas sought to stage a coup against the PA in the West Bank on Sept. 1. The brigades said Al Dahshan had been an organizer of the coup.

"Nasser Al Dahshan was party in the coup against the legitimate Palestinian leadership last Saturday," Security Martyrs Brigades said.

The statement also said Security Martyrs Brigades targeted a former Fatah official in Gaza City on Sept. 3. The group identified the target as Khaled Abu Hillal, the former Fatah spokesman who defected to Hamas. A bomb exploded near Abu Hillal's home.

"I am from Fatah, and over the last two months I established a party called Fatah-Yasser," Abu Hillal said on Wednesday. "Our position is different from that of Abu Mazen [PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas]."