Special report: Internal situation in Palestine  

    GAZA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of pro-Hamas police officers staged a rally in the streets of Gaza City on Tuesday, calling on all police in the Hamas-controlled Gaza to resume their work.

    Eyewitnesses in Gaza City said dozens of blue police vehicles, carrying pro-Hamas police officers and members of the Hamas executive police force, turned their sirens on and drove all over Gaza City's main streets.

    "The absence of all police officers would increase crimes and would give better chances for drugs dealers to be active," said one pro-Hamas police officer, driving a blue police car. Palestinian national flags were flying on several cars. Some cars carried on its fronts posters for late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Other police officers were seen holding banners, reading "what consequences will we get out of this strike ... let's protect our people's interests."

    On June 14, the executive force of Hamas backed by the movement's armed wing al-Qassam Brigades defeated President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah militants and seized the Gaza Strip.

    In response to Hamas military takeover in Gaza, pro-Fatah Chief of Palestinian civil police Brigadier Kamal al-Shiekh on June 16 ordered all policemen in Gaza to stop dealing with the Hamas-led government, which was sacked by Abbas on June 14.

    Abbas also decreed to outlaw the al-Qassam Brigades and the pro-Hamas executive police force, which Hamas formed last year in the Gaza Strip.