New Hamas force in Gaza is foiling rocket attacks against Israel
The new 300 men anti-rocket force operates day and night, but will not act if Israel is the first to strike.
By Avi Issacharoff
The Hamas government in Gaza has been operating a force over the past few months whose sole task is to prevent the firing of rockets into Israel.
Hamas, which has always championed jihad against Israel, is now using its authority to foil the firing efforts of cells from other organizations such as the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees.
The new force was formed by and is under the direct command of Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hammad, who in the past has been considered an extremist in regard to Israel. According to a Gaza source, the force of some 300 men operates, "day and night, 24 hours, everywhere in the Strip, particularly near the borders with Israel."
The soldiers wear black uniforms and make their way around on motorcycles and four-wheel drive vehicles. According to a Hamas source, the force has a green light to shoot activists who resist arrest or fire at the Hamas soldiers. Anyone arrested can expect to spend at least a couple of months in prison, the source said. The rockets and/or mortars that are found are confiscated and transfered to Hamas.
in full : http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/new-hamas-force-in-gaza-is-foiling-rocket-attacks-against-israel-1.429297
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