Hamas hails victory, "liberation" of Gaza Strip

GAZA, June 14 (Reuters) Hamas Islamists declared victory over their rivals today, saying the capture of a major security force compound meant the ''liberation'' of Gaza.

Though forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his secular Fatah faction remained in three other significant bases in the Gaza Strip, including the presidential compound in the enclave, a senior Hamas official said six days of clashes had been decided in Hamas's favour.

''What happened today in the Preventive Security headquarters was the second liberation of the Gaza Strip,'' Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, referring to the withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers in 2005 as the first time an occupation had ended.

''This time it was liberated from the herds of the collaborators,'' he said of Fatah, which has pursued peace negotiations with Israel. ''Last time, it was liberated from the herds of the settlers.'' He said Hamas was still ready for dialogue with Fatah and for mediation but he described as ''illegal'' the Palestinian institutions that Abbas was consulting in his West Bank headquarters at Ramallah and said only the government led by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas had any legitimacy.

Fatah officials said Abbas was planning to dismiss the government. Abu Zuhri said any such move would be illegitimate.

But he added: ''The situation has not reached a dead end. We are interested in pursuing dialogue and accepting mediation in order to reorganise the situation in the Palestinian territories.'' Reuters RJ GC1929