Palestinians start deploying forces
The new Palestinian leadership on Thursday banned civilians from carrying weapons and indicated it will appoint a new security minister known for his tough stance against militants clear signs of seriousness about reining in violence, an Israeli precondition for peace talks.
But in a sign of challenges ahead for Abbas, Hamas appeared to have made a strong showing in the first-ever municipal elections held in the Gaza Strip, seen as a test of strength between the Islamic militant group and the new leader.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Building on a northern Gaza deployment a week ago, some 2,000 Palestinian paramilitary police began to fan out across the southern part of the territory, turning back the clock to the days of security cooperation and peacemaking with Israel.
Some of the uniformed men, armed with assault rifles, took up positions between Jewish settlements on occupied land, often hit by mortar bombs and rockets launched by militants, and Palestinian towns.
Others were headed to Gaza's border with Egypt, where Israel has conducted punishing raids in Palestinian residential areas to root out weapons-smuggling tunnels and militants.
Over the past week, violence has dropped sharply in the Gaza Strip, where Abbas is trying to arrange a cease-fire in the run-up to a planned Israeli withdrawal this summer.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Thursday conditions were right for a "historic breakthrough" on peace after measures taken by Abbas to bring calm.
He said in a speech that if Palestinians worked to "fight terror" after more than four years of bloodshed, then Israel could move forward with a US-backed peace "road map" meant to lead to a Palestinian state.
President Bush, in an interview published on Friday in The New York Times, said Abbas has shown strength in the early phases of his administration.
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