Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Wednesday that they took over the border between Gaza Strip and Egypt as part of their campaign to capture Palestinian security posts.

 

"Hamas has seized all the security position on the border," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Xinhua.

 

For his part, the spokesman of Hamas' armed wing, Abu Obaida, told reporters that Rafah border crossing was also under Hamas' control.

 

"Our target is the security apparatuses wherever they are," said Abu Obaida, adding that their control of Rafah was also meant to facilitate the work at the crossing, closed for more than a week.

 

Representatives of the European Union Border Assistance Mission(EUBAM) act as third-party monitors on the Palestinian-Egyptian terminal.

 

Hamas armed wing did not enter inside the crossing "because it was unsafe for them since Israeli drones were flying overhead," Abu Obaida said. Israeli authorities watch the crossing through several central cameras.

 

In addition, Abu Obaida announced that the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) decided to join Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades in their fighting against the "coup seekers" among the security agencies.

 

Earlier, Abu Obaida said Hamas seized most of the security compounds except four big sites in Gaza city which included President Mahmoud Abbas' residence and office, the intelligence and the major security headquarter.

 

The operations to take over the places of pro-Abbas forces left many gunmen and security members dead and Hamas raids on houses of senior Fatah officials killed members of their families.

 

Mu'awia Hassanin, director of ambulance department, said that16 people were killed on Wednesday and the total number of those killed in the last three days of clashes was 62.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2007)