GAZA, May 1: The Palestinian Authority vowed to end street patrols by armed militants and threatened to use force to prevent them on Sunday at the start of a law-and-order drive by President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas militants reacted angrily to the order for an end to such patrols, which have continued despite a ceasefire agreed by armed factions at the behest of Abbas.

“We will allow no patrols in the Palestinian street except for those of the Palestinian Authority,” said Interior Minister Nasser Youssef during a visit to the militant stronghold of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

“In case dialogue with the factions fails, the Palestinian Authority will take the initiative and impose its control by force.” Masked militants began patrols during the conflict, at the same time setting up booby traps and obstacles to hamper Israeli raids. Such patrols are also a way for the militants to show their local strength.

Abbas prefers to negotiate with the militants rather than crack down on them, as Israel has urged. But last week Abbas ordered forces to use an “iron fist” to prevent ceasefire violations.

He is also under local pressure to stem growing lawlessness — including about 30 murders over the past year. The chaos has boosted the popularity of Islamic groups seen as less corrupt than the ruling Fatah movement. Youssef said that under the law-and-order drive launched on Sunday only security forces would be allowed to carry weapons on Palestinian streets.

Hamas, the main Islamic militant group, said Youssef’s order to end patrols “was unacceptable”, but did not say it would defy it and described the issue as exaggerated. “We would like the Palestinian Authority to focus more on how to protect the Palestinian people from Israeli crimes, which did not stop, than on how to ensure calm,” said spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.

Israeli troops arrested a 19-year-old Palestinian overnight during the first raid on the West Bank city of Tulkarm since pulling back in March as a confidence-building measure.

Israeli military sources said the teenager had been planning a bomb attack in Israel and had links to the Islamic Jihad cell in Tulkarm that carried out a Feb. 25 bombing which killed five Israelis.

Last weekend, Abbas named new heads for national security, intelligence and police as part of reforms key to strengthening the moderate leader’s own position after his election in January and before any attempt to revive peacemaking with Israel.

Israel has said the Palestinians must dismantle armed groups if there is to be any progress on talks and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has accused Abbas of failing to mount a “real fight against terrorism”.—Reuters