Hamas militants. 'Baseless fabrication'
Photo: AP
'Iran behind Hamas coup in Gaza'
Palestinian intelligence chief accuses Iran of training, funding Hamas militants. Notes Syrian-based Hamas leaders met Gazan Hamas leader a month prior to PA coup
The Palestinian intelligence chief accused Iran of
close involvement in Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza Sunday, saying Tehran funded the Islamic militants and trained hundreds of them.
The intelligence chief, Tawfiq Tirawi, said the battle for Gaza earlier this month was carefully orchestrated.
"It was a joint program with Iran," he said. In implied criticism of Syria, he noted that Hamas' leadership is based there, stating that a month before the battle for Gaza began, the Syrian-based leaders of Hamas met with the heads of the Hamas military wing in an undisclosed Arab capital.
"In this meeting, they discussed all the details of the operation," said Tirawi in a news conference.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri dismissed the allegations of Hamas-Iran cooperation as "baseless fabrication" and denied Hamas fighters had been trained in Iran.
On Saturday, Hamas hardliner Mahmoud Zahar was quoted as telling a German news magazine Der-Spiegel that he had personally carried $42 million in cash from Iran across the Gaza-Egypt border.
Tirawi warned that Hamas militants are hoarding weapons in the West Bank and might try to target Palestinian government installations there.
The West Bank is a stronghold of the rival Fatah movement of moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
