Dozens of militants linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group raided a government building in Gaza today, demanding he make good on a deal to recruit them into his security forces.
The Palestinian Interior Ministry said it was checking the circumstances of the incident but declined immediate comment on the latest unrest in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that has seen months of growing lawlessness.
Abbas's government agreed last month to give hundreds of gunmen from al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades jobs in its security forces in a bid to keep them off the streets, officials said at the time, but gave no timetable for removing their personal weapons.
About 40 armed militants from the group, some masked, stormed the Legislative Council building in the town of Rafah to protest the delay in the move and occupied it for four hours. They said they had not used violence or held anyone hostage.
Group spokesman Abu Wael said all the gunmen left the offices and would wait for a response from the Palestinian Authority elsewhere. Al-Aqsa is linked to Fatah, the main Palestinian group.
Abbas is under pressure from Israel and the United States to reform security forces and disarm militants as a part of a US-backed “road map” peace plan. He has already replaced most of his security chiefs.
The al-Aqsa gunmen relayed their message to the Palestinian Authority through a local lawmaker, Abed-Rabbo Abu Awn, who said they “have raised a legitimate demand which they seek jobs in order to be able to support their families.“