The Palestinian Ministry of Justice has drafted indictments against 1,000 Hamas leaders, including some top names, both inside and outside the territories, in preparation for prosecuting them on charges of murder.
The list includes names of all Hamas leaders who are believed to have been involved in planning, financing and executing the “bloody coup” last June in Gaza, Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs Ashraf ‘Ajrami told The Media Line.
The defendants will be brought to justice on criminal charges and not for their political and ideological beliefs. The accusations include ordering and committing crimes, and inciting followers to kill Palestinian Authority and Fatah security personnel.
“Only the murderers who ordered and committed ugly massacres against Fatah and the P.A. security personnel in Gaza will be put on trial,” ‘Ajrami said.
In an all-out assault Hamas militias took over Gaza and routed their Fatah rivals, taking control of all compounds, including P.A. Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas’ own residence.
All charges against the accused Hamas leaders and operatives will handled by local Palestinian courts and on an individual basis, said ‘Ajrami.
The P.A. will also ask Interpol to round up and return any Hamas defendants living in neighboring countries to its jurisdiction, he added.
‘Ajrami was referring to the Damascus-based Hamas leadership that includes the head of the group’s politburo, Khalid Mash’al and his deputy, Mousa Abu Marzouq.
Fatah officials have accused Mash’al of being the mastermind of the Gaza military coup staged in order to establish an Islamic state in the Gaza Strip.
The Hamas takeover resulted in the killing and wounding of dozens of people, most of them members of the Fatah-aligned security forces, as well as damaging houses and looting properties of many P.A. civil and security personnel.
In retaliation ‘Abbas sacked the Hamas-led government and outlawed Hamas’ armed wing, the ‘Azz A-Din Al Qassam, and the movement’s Executive Force, known as Tanfezya.