CAIRO (Reuters) -The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza on Wednesday ordered the leader of a well-armed Bedouin clan defying the group’s control of the Palestinian enclave to surrender and face trial, accusing him of treason.
A ministry statement said the decision was taken by what it called a “Revolutionary Court”. Yasser Abu Shabab, who does not recognize the authority of Hamas and accuses the militants of hurting the interests of Gaza, has 10 days to surrender, it said.
The court urged Palestinians to inform Hamas security officials about the whereabouts of Abu Shabab, who has so far remained beyond their reach in the Rafah area of southern Gaza held by Israeli troops. There was no immediate response from his group to the surrender order.
Hamas, which accuses Abu Shabab of looting UN aid trucks and alleges that he is backed by Israel, has sent some of its top fighters to kill him, two Hamas sources and two other sources familiar with the situation told Reuters last month.
Abu Shabab’s group told Reuters at the time that it is a popular force protecting humanitarian aid from looting by escorting aid trucks and denied getting support from Israel or contacts with the Israeli army. It accused Hamas of violence and muzzling dissent.
Israel has said it has backed some of Gaza’s clans against Hamas but has not said which.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; editing Philippa Fletcher)
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