Haniya gov’t: We will not allow security chaos to return to Gaza

[ 15/08/2009 - 09:03 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Palestinian government headed by premier Ismail Haniya strongly denounced on Friday the group of Abdul Latif Moussa for triggering Rafah events that claimed the lives of dozens of Palestinian citizens, stressing that it would not allow the return of security chaos to the Gaza Strip.

“Everyone should uphold the rule of law and no one is above it regardless of the meaningless names he takes for himself,” spokesman for the government Taher Al-Nunu underlined in a news conference.

Spokesman Nunu said that this misguided group had refused to resist the Israeli occupation and defend the Palestinian people during the last Israeli war on Gaza alleging according to their beliefs that Hamas was beyond Islam and they could not help it in its war against Israel.

Abdul Latif Moussa, who is known for his extremist ideas, declared during the Friday Khutba (sermon) the establishment of an Islamic emirate and condemned Hamas as a non-Muslim group.

The spokesman added that the government had made many contacts with Abdul Latif group to persuade it to abandon its extremist ideas and orientations, but it insisted on its transgression and persisted in inciting some citizens against the government and Hamas.

For his part, spokesman for Hamas Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri stated that Moussa’s seditious declarations yesterday in Rafah reflected his own devious mindset, affirming that this group has nothing to do with external parties or groups. 

Spokesman Abu Zuhri highlighted in a press statement to the Palestinian information center (PIC) that it is not allowed for anyone to enforce his own rules because it is the responsibility of security apparatuses.

In the same context, Palestinian medical sources told the PIC reporter that 14 Palestinians including Palestinian fighters affiliated with Al-Qassam Brigades and five policemen were killed and more than 120 were wounded during the clashes that took place between Gaza policemen and the group of Moussa that announced the establishment of an illegal entity in Gaza.

This group refused to comply with the security men’s calls for turning themselves in and started to open fire at them and at citizens which led to the death of one policeman at first. This situation prompted Gaza police and security men to respond and enforce the rule of law.   In a statement on Saturday the interior ministry in Gaza said that Moussa was killed along with eight of his followers while six policemen and six citizens were also killed in the clashes and 120 others were wounded.

Haniyah: We were obliged to act against Jund Insar Allah

Published yesterday (updated) 15/08/2009 18:32

 Gaza – Ma’an –

The Hamas government was obliged to act against Jund Ansar Allah (Soldiers for God), de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah said publically following overnight clashes between the ultra-Islamist group and Hamas police.

“Members of the group had worked against the government, described it as unreligious and armed themselves in opposition,” the de facto Prime Minister said at a conference on Saturday. “These were radicals who blew themselves up in the midst of security officers,” he said.

Deputy Head of Rafah police department Ra’fat Salamah wrote on the police website that de facto government police were forced to take action when fighters from Jund Ansar Allah opened fire on Rafah residents and security personnel.

He also noted that “none of the outlaws are left in Rafah,” saying that at least 90 were arrested as of Friday evening, and promising that life in the area had returned to normal.

Haniyah described the group as one that took advantage of youth and infused them with “strange ideas” based on acting against so-called atheists in a violent way. In all ways, he added, this came about because of the Israeli siege on Gaza, and the war Israel perpetrated against the people of the Strip. He said the dire conditions fostered negative thinking in younger generations.

Six de facto government police and one Hamas leader were reportedly killed in the clashes that arose after the Jund Ansar Allah took over a Rafah city mosque and, along with hundreds of armed supporters, declared the city of Rafah an Islamic Emirate. Another six civilians were confirmed dead, including two young girls. Ten others from the ultra-Islamist movement including Jund Ansar Allah leader Sheikh Abdul Latif Moussa were also killed.

Sources said two loud explosions were heard during clashes, reportedly Jund Ansar Allah fighters bowing themselves up amidst Hamas police.

Hamas: Rafah clashes terminated, 22 confirmed dead

Published yesterday (updated) 15/08/2009 21:15

 Gaza – Ma’an –

The “security operation” against Salafi group Jund Ansar Allah (Soldiers of Supporters of God) in the southern Strip was “terminated” Saturday at noon following the confirmed slaying of the group’s leader by de facto Hamas government forces.

Hamas security men remain deployed in the area, which is still closed to the public, interior ministry spokesperson in Gaza Eyhab Al-Ghussain said. He also confirmed 22 were killed during the clashes, including one Hamas leader, six de facto police officers and six bystanders, two of which were young girls. Medics identified one of the girls as eight-year-old Shayma Jabir Al-Aloul.

Commenting on the incident Al-Ghussain stressed Jund Ansar Allah is a “group of individuals rather than an organization. They don’t have any contact with the outside world, their ideologies are perverted as they accused Gazan people of infidelity [to Islam], and carried out several attacks on cafés and wedding parties.”

Leader of Jund Ansar Allah was killed alongside one of his aides in a Rafah home following an overnight battle between the ultra-Islamist group and Hamas police, sources confirmed Saturday morning. At that point Hamas sources said they believed the group was neutralized by the death of the leader.

Calling Hamas too liberal, heavily armed militants with Jund Ansar Allah and hundreds of supporters took over a Rafah mosque following Friday prayers. The group declared the mosque, and the city of Rafah, an Islamic Emirate that would fall under theocratic rule.

According to Al-Ghuhessein Hamas clerics had contacted those affiliated with the group, seeking to “convert them to moderate Islam,” but they refused. He said when forces learned of the mosque takeover Friday afternoon authorities “tried to contact them and settle the issue peacefully,” but their militants opened fire at police officers provoking clashes. He confirmed the group was primarily based in Rafah.

According to Hamas authorities, Jund Ansar Allah is believed to have been responsible for recent café, salon and CD store bombings in the Gaza Strip, and Hamas sources said they were also behind the bombing of a Khan Younis wedding of members of the Dahlah family, a Fatah-affiliated clan, one of whose members, Mohammed Dahlah, was recently elected to the Fatah Central Committee.

By nightfall de facto Hamas government police had launched an operation to roust the group from the mosque and undercut their military abilities. Locals said a large blast was heard during clashes between police and the armed group, believed to be set off by Jund Ansar Allah fighters.

Other confirmed casualties include aide to Abdul Latiff Moussa, Abu Abdullah As-Suri (the Syrian). Another 120 were injured in the overnight operations, which saw de facto police and security men bomb a home in Rafah believed to be affiliated with Jund Ansar Allah. It was not immediately clear whether the home attacked Saturday morning was the same location as the overnight attack, or if it was a separate location, near the alleged smuggling tunnel operated by the group.

The group has ideological ties to Al-Qaeda, though no formal links were reported. The Gaza-based de facto Interior Ministry issued a statement late Friday night, calling Jund Ansar Allah "mentally ill." It said officials had seized weapons from the group and would prosecute its members.

The last major event involving the group occurred in July, when members barricaded inside a building in Khan Younis ultimately surrendered to de facto police. A month earlier, the group was implicated in a failed operation aimed at attacking Israel on horseback.

Jund Ansar Allah leader Abu Moussa announced the start of theocratic rule across Palestine, beginning in Rafah. Abu Moussa vowed that his organization would soon begin implementing Islamic law, a proposal counter to Hamas' efforts, with recent exceptions, to maintain the secular Palestinian legal code.

"We announce the birth of the Islamic emirate," declared another Jund Ansar Allah official, using a term popular with Al-Qaeda that describes clerical rule throughout what the organization views as Islamic land. The same speaker was photographed bearded and dressed in a red robe, surrounded by four masked men armed with assault rifles. One was pictured wearing what appeared to be an explosive belt.

Among the organization's complaints against Hamas include its refusal to institute Islamic law on Palestinians in Gaza, as well as its ceasefire with Israel, which was declared unilaterally in mid-January.