Palestinian Authority security forces have arrested dozens of Hamas members in the West Bank suspected of planning to assassinate several senior Palestinian leaders. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads Fatah, told a Russian television station, “The Palestinian Authority is closely monitoring the situation, and when the time is right we will expose those involved in this affair. For now we must wait. We have verified information that Hamas is hoarding weapons and explosives. The Authority has found two tons of explosives belonging to Hamas.” Abbas also accused Hamas of acquiring light, medium and heavy arms, RPG launchers, machine guns, and presidential guard uniforms.
PA secretary general Tayeb Abdelrahim charged Hamas with undermining reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas, while Hamas has refuted Fatah’s claims, charging the Palestinian Authority and Fatah of arresting its members to torpedo the talks. Meanwhile, Abbas stressed that while the arrests were non-political, they cast doubt over whether reconciliation talks with Hamas would succeed.
“Interrogation revealed that the leadership in Gaza of Hamas and (its armed wing) Qassam told them to carry out terrorist attacks on personalities and institutions of the PA,” Abdelrahim said at a news conference.
“They admitted that their leaders asked them to commit those attempts on July 7, date of the signing of the reconciliation accord we are determined to reach,” he added. “We are now convinced (Hamas) doesn't want to reach an accord in Cairo.”
Mahmoud al-Romahi, a Hamas member on the Palestinian Legislative Council, has since told Haaretz, that all differences between the two parties have been resolved, with the exception of the arrests.
© 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
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