Top Hamas official rejects deployment of Arab forces in Gaza alone

Musa Abu Marzouk, the Damascus-based deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, rejected the deployment of Arab forces in the Gaza Strip alone, calling for such forces to be deployed in the West Bank as well, Israel Radio reported Monday. On Saturday, political bureau member Muhammad Naser said that sending Arab or international forces to the Gaza Strip was not an option. Fatah spokesman Ahmad Abd a-Rahman insisted that an agreement between the Palestinian factions must be made in order to deploy Arab forces, adding that it was premature to raise the matter.