Faruq Qaddumi announces Popular Army

August 01

Fatah, the ruling Palestinian party, has begun recruiting a 'popular army' responsible for helping to keep law and order after Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip, under direction from party leader Faruq Qaddumi, seen here in July 2005.(AFP/File/Fethi Belaid)



Fatah sets up 'popular army' to cope with Gaza pullout Tue Aug 2, 2:51 PM ET



KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip (AFP) - Fatah, the ruling Palestinian party, has begun recruiting a "popular army" responsible for helping to keep law and order after Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip, a spokesman said.

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The volunteer force, which Fatah hopes will number some 1,500 people, is being set up on the orders of party leader Faruq Qaddumi, who is based in Tunis, one of his spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Suleiman al-Farra, told AFP.

"We have decided to create a popular army to help the Palestinian Authority take things in hand after Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip," Farra said, 15 days before the planned pullout is to begin.

Around 250 volunteers make up the kernel of the new group, which on Tuesday was being put through fitness exercises in a football ground in the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, said an AFP correspondent.

"Training began on Monday under national security officers and Palestinian police," said Farra.

"The popular army will consist of 1,500 volunteers throughout the whole of the Gaza Strip," he added.

Farra said the army would be mainly number volunteers from Fatah but would also be open to members of other Palestinian factions if they wanted to join.

The creation of a Fatah "popular army" reflects a desire among the previously dominant Palestinian faction to flex its muscles against the radical Islamist movement Hamas, which is particularly strong in Gaza.

Hamas' leader in Gaza, Mahmud Zahar, said last month the movement would agree to any move to disarm its members in the aftermath of the imminent Israeli withdrawal from the territory.

Activists from both Fatah and Hamas have been involved in armed clashes in recent weeks, although they have since reached an agreement to bury their differences and save their energies for their common enemy of Israel.