Hamas is about to establish its own “Defense Ministry” in the Gaza Strip as part
of lessons drawn from Operation Pillar of Defense, Hamas Interior Minister Fathi
Hammad announced on Wednesday.
Hammad, who is in charge of the Hamas
security apparatus in the Gaza Strip, made the announcement during a ceremony to
honor policemen and security officers for their role during last month’s IDF air
offensive.
Hammad did not say when the new ministry would be
established.
This would be the first time that the Palestinians set up a
Defense Ministry. The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank does not have such
a ministry. There, too, the PA’s Interior Ministry is formally in charge of the
various branches of the security forces, with President Mahmoud Abbas serving as
commander- in-chief.
Read the full story