Hamas: 'We will not allow return of security chaos'

Senior Hamas spokesman Salah Al-Bardaweel stressed the movement would not allow Fatah’s internal conflict to affect the stability of the war-battered enclave.

Speaking to Quds Press, Al-Bardaweel denied that his movement has any role to play in Fatah’s internal clashes. “Hamas has no connections with Fatah’s internal conflict,” he said.

Al-Bardaweel added that when his movement felt that there was a chance to escalate the internal conflict, it banned a major celebration in order not to allow mass gatherings of Fatah members.

Fatah members are divided between supporters of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and supporters of dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan. Abbas has recently cut the salaries of Dahlan supporters in Gaza.

Al-Bardaweel called for Fatah leaders and spokespersons to stop blaming Hamas for their internal conflict saying this would never help them solve their problems.

He quashed fears that security chaos would return to the Strip, saying: “Even if our policemen and security services, who are now working for the unity government, were not paid, they would never leave their work.”