Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel’s military operation in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, the day when Palestinians and Muslims worldwide celebrated Eid Al Fitr. The president also ordered the deployment of some 20,000 Fatah forces to maintain order in the area.
Monday’s operation in Gaza was a "loathsome massacre carried out, of all days, on the first day of Eid Al Fitr," Abbas stated according to Haaretz. Eid Al Fitr is one of the holiest days in Islam marking the end of the month of Ramadan.
More than 20,000 security forces para-militaries and police who are loyal to Abbas rather than Hamas will be deployed throughout the Strip once Ramadan ends.
The deployment is considered a strong message to Hamas that order must be restored by Fatah over the Strip. Hamas has an estimated 5,000 soldiers in its security force.
The order comes one day after Israeli troops launched an ambush between Beit Hanun and Beit Lahia in the Strip in which seven Palestinians were killed.
Israeli sources maintained that the men were en route to carry out a missile attack against Israel. However, local residents said that three of the men were returning from paying a condolence call of the family of a militant killed in a previous incident.
