Hamas' Hitmen: the EXECUTIVE FORCE

The name Executive Force sounds like a group of CPA's wearing identical glasses and three piece suits ready to take their briefcases on the road and save the world from white collar crime.

The Hamas Executive force is something much different than pencils and calculators. It is the not so secret police of the Hamas. If there is someone beating up a protester or torturing a prisoner in Gaza chances are it is someone from the Executive Force (they even have their own Prisons). Below is an interview with the head of the Executive Force, that appeared in the Palestinian Ma'an news service. In this interview Jamal Jarrah, the CEO of Executive Force admits that his group is not a bunch of nice guys

Executive Force leader admits to violence and torture in Gaza

Date: 19 / 08 / 2007 Time: 10:07

Gaza – Ma'an – Leader of Hamas' Executive Force in Gaza, Jamal Jarrah, on Sunday acknowledged that the EF has been the source of violence in the strip. However, he said there is "exaggeration in the news published about these violations".

Speaking to Gaza-based newspaper, Al Yawmiyya, which is controlled by the deposed government, Jarrah said "we try to minimise violations and avoid them through the training of our members."

Torture

Jarrah also admitted that there were some cases of torture in the Executive Force prisons. He said "there were some minor cases, which we have admitted and we condemn any such practices."

He added, "The EF has formed investigation committees in order to investigate all the violations and seriously address all the cases in the prisons."

Jarrah denied Fatah claims that there are 120 Fatah members in Executive Force jails. He said "this is untrue, there are no Fatah prisoners, and if there are, they are there for criminal reasons and not on a political background."

He continued "any arrest of Fatah members is due to criminal reasons, not because they are Fatah members; they have broken the law or assaulted the Executive Force."

EF development

Jarrah rejected the possibility that the EF will be assimilated into the Palestinian security services in the future. He said the EF position is connected to the development of political accord between the factions, especially Fatah and Hamas.

"Political developments will determine the destiny of the EF," said Jarrah.

With regards to all the Presidential decrees issued by Mahmoud Abbas, Jarrah said that they are not important and "reflect the unsettled situation on the ground".

With respect to reports of a possible formation of the Executive Force in the West Bank, Jarrah denied any intention to expand into the West Bank "especially with the presence of the Israeli occupation forces there."