Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly disbanded the National Security Council on Monday, in an attempt to weaken Hamas .Among the council members were Hamas leaders, including former Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The report could not be confirmed by official sources.
Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Fatah leader, condemned the "military coup" carried out by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and expressed support for Abbas.
According to a statement issued by Barghouti's office, he "expressed his full support for the decision to establish a new government headed by Salam Fayyad”.
Barghouti is serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli jail for his role in the second intifada.
Sources within the Fatah movement estimated that Abbas would announce an internal investigation committee in order to analyze the events in Gaza that led to Fatah’s downfall and Hamas’ takeover of the city.
In the meantime, Fatah continued to target Hamas institutions in the West Bank. Early Monday morning, Fatah gunmen burned down the home of Hamas’ Aziz Dweik, chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Several hours earlier, a Hamas member was killed in Nablus.
According to Palestinian sources, Fatah gunmen also took over Hamas municipalities and councils near Nablus and Jenin. Hamas members reported several of their people kidnapped by Fatah gunmen in Jenin, Nablus, and Qalqiliya.
According to Hamas, over 300 attacks have been carried out in the West Bank against its members and institutions in recent days. Over 150 Hamas activists have been kidnapped or arrested, two were killed, and dozens more injured.
Abbas issued an order to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to stop the attacks against rival faction members.
While Europe pledged to aid the emergency Palestinian government headed by Salam Fayyad, Russia has called on it to launch a dialogue with "all the Palestinian forces, including Hamas," the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said.
AFP contributed to this article