Special report: Hamas-led cabinet takes office

    GAZA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- A newly-established armed force of the Palestinian Fatah movement demanded the Hamas-led government on Saturday to dissolve its security force within 3 days.

    "The Fatah protection forces give three days to the Hamas government to dissolve the backup forces formed by Interior Minister Sa'ed Siam," a spokesman of the new Fatah armed force,who only identified himself as Abu Jihad, told reporters.

    Warning the Hamas-led security force against "standing up to Fatah's members", Abu Jihad said the new Fatah force was ready to be deployed in the Gaza Strip.

    He also urged President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also Fatah's chairman, to sack the Hamas-led government and call early elections "to stop escalation of violence and maintain law."

    Last Wednesday, Interior Minister and senior Hamas member Siam ordered the deployment of the 3,000-strong security force in the Gaza Strip although Abbas vetoed the formation of the force,terming it illegal.

    Siam declared that the new security force was aimed to help the existing security apparatuses and police to maintain law and order.

    Fatah, once dominant on the Palestinian political stage but defeated by Hamas in the January legislative polls, then set up its new security troop named protection forces to counter the Hamas force.

    Violence between Fatah and Hamas militants over the control of security forces has erupted in the Palestinian territories in the past few weeks, killing several people and wounding dozens.

    Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, took the reins of the Palestinian government in late March. The Islamic group formally commits itself to Israel's destruction and refuses to renounce violence and abide by previous Palestinian-Israeli agreements. Enditem