Abbas says Hamas militia illegal

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared the Hamas paramilitary militia in the Gaza Strip illegal.

It is the latest move in his stand-off with the Islamic movement that controls the Palestinian Authority government.

Mr Abbas made the announcement two days after members of the Hamas force attacked the home of a senior security commander in Gaza.

The man, a member of a security service loyal to Mr Abbas's Fatah party, and several of his bodyguards were killed.

Fatah and Hamas have been locked in a power struggle since the Islamic group won parliamentary elections a year ago.

Rival forces

The dispute has centred around control of the Palestinian security forces.

President Mahmoud Abbas decided to reshuffle the security forces and its leadership and to consider the executive force, officers and members, illegal and outside the law Presidential statement

Mr Abbas, who was elected in a separate presidential vote, claimed authority over most of the security forces.

But last year saw Hamas form its own unit, known as the "executive force". Members of the Hamas militia have clashed with the existing pro-Fatah security forces from time to time.

Mr Abbas has agreed in recent months to integrate the Hamas unit into existing security forces, but those efforts have failed to make progress.

"In light of continued security chaos and assassinations that got to a number of our fighters... and in light of the failure of existing agencies and security apparatuses in imposing law and order and protecting the security of the citizens, President Mahmoud Abbas decided to reshuffle the security forces and its leadership and to consider the executive force, officers and members, illegal and outside the law," Mr Abbas's office said in a statement on Saturday.

"It will be dealt with accordingly so long as it is not immediately folded into the legal security forces."

A Hamas spokesman described the announcement as "misplaced and useless".

Another accused Mr Abbas of giving the "green light" for attacks on Hamas security men.

US funding

Friday saw Mr Abbas and the Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya of Hamas, meet for the first time in two months.

After the meeting, Mr Haniya said they would appeal for calm and a return to negotiations on forming a government of national unity.

Separately, Reuters news agency reported that the US administration was planning to provide security forces loyal to Mr Abbas with $86.4m.

The agency quoted a US government document saying that the money would "assist the Palestinian Authority presidency in fulfilling PA commitments... to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism and establish law and order".

Fatah advocates negotiations to found a state alongside Israel, while Hamas refuses to recognise Israel's right to exist.