Deposed PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas on Saturday appointed a new security command, replacing commanders loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a spokesman said.
However, the spokesman, Khaled Abu Hilal, said none of the lower-ranking officer would be dismissed. The announcement was made on the Hamas-linked TV station, Al Aqsa.
The new security chief will be Maj. Gen. Said Fanouna, said Abu Hilal. The officer has been asked to reorganize the National Security forces, the spokesman said.
Earlier, the chief commander of the Palestinian police in the West Bank and Gaza, Kamal Sheikh, had announced that he would not work with Hamas, and called on his officers and soldiers not to obey Haniyeh's orders. In response, Haniyeh appointed a new security chief.
