Abbas's militias release Hamas leader after mediation

[ 20/05/2010 - 09:22 AM ]

NABLUS, (PIC)-- Security militias loyal to former PA chief Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday released Dr. Mohammed Ghazal, a well known Hamas political leader in the West Bank, after taking him from his home in Nablus city on Wednesday.

Sources said that the release followed mediation by independent figures in Nablus city for the release of Ghazal, who was previously detained by those militias in 2008.

Hamas movement issued a statement in Damascus calling for the immediate release of Ghazal, a lecturer at the engineering faculty in Najah university.

The movement held Abbas's militias responsible for the safety of Ghazal, calling for an immediate end to political detention and for the release of all detainees in Ramallah jails.

For his part, Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, told the PIC on Wednesday night that the detention of Dr. Ghazal was an attempt by Fatah-controlled PA n Ramallah to eliminate Hamas from the West Bank.

Describing the act as "serious", Barhoum said that Fatah was foiling all reconciliation bids and was not concerned in ending division.

"What happened would make us re-evaluate our relations with Fatah," the spokesman said.

No reason was given by Abbas's preventive security for its detention of Dr. Ghazal.

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