The Palestinian Authority announced it is disbanding a “death squad” operating against Islamic groups in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian security chief Mohammed Abu Shbak said Saturday that the secret unit, which had operated for around a year, was being abandoned as part of efforts by the dominant Fatah faction to clean up the political apparatus in the West Bank and Gaza. Shbak said the unit’s main mission was to crack down on Hamas and Islamic Jihad, although there was no immediate evidence of such actions. According to Israeli media, the unit also served as a bodyguard to Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan, who had frequently challenged the late Yasser Arafat in power squabbles.
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