Abu ‘Ubeida, a spokesman for ‘Azz A-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, an armed group affiliated with Hamas, warned that if security forces tried to arrest Hamas members, they could face death.
Six Palestinians, from both the Qassam brigades and the Palestinian security forces, were killed in clashes in the West Bank town Qalqilya on Saturday.
If these arrests continued, the forces would face the same fate as their companions in Qalqilya, Abu ‘Ubeida was quoted saying on a Hamas website.
Over the past few days, ‘Abbas’s forces have intensified a crackdown against Hamas members in the West Bank, fueling fears that violent clashes in Gaza will spill over into what is still a Fatah stronghold.
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“If ‘Abbas’s treacherous forces, which do not belong to the national ranks and fall into the occupation’s embrace, embark on any crimes as they did in Qalqilya, if they try to assassinate and besiege holy warriors from the Qassam Brigades, then they should anticipate the same result,” Abu ‘Ubeida said.
He said the soldiers and commanders of the security forces were collaborating with the “Zionist enemy,” and could not be entrusted with the Palestinian people or the Palestinian cause.
“Surrendering warriors to these fighters means surrendering them to the occupation forces and God will not allow this,” he added.
Hamas won the legislative elections in the Palestinian territories in January 2006 and, as such, dominates the Palestinian Legislative Council.
The movement took control of the Gaza Strip in a violent coup in June 2007.
This caused a rift between the Gaza Strip, which is run by an deposed government that is not recognized by the West, and a separate, internationally backed government in Ramallah, which is headed by ‘Abbas.
In the meantime, Hamas and its rival Fatah are engaged in ongoing talks in Egypt to reach a reconciliation pact, but have so far not managed to strike an agreement.
Saturday’s clashes are an indication that the Hamas-Fatah rivalry might be spreading to the West Bank, which could not only hamper any chances of reconciliation, but also erode the Palestinians’ standing in their negotiations with Israel.
Hamas reported that 12 of its members were arrested by security forces in Nablus, Tul Karem and Jenin, in the West Bank, on Wednesday.
There were reports that a member of the Qassam Brigades was killed in Wednesday’s clashes.