(AKI) - The Palestinian Authority (PA) has opened an inquest on why some 3,000 Hamas militants serving in the illegal Executive Forces in the Gaza Strip were paid salaries with public money, an Arab satellite television reported Thursday.The PA government headed by prime minister Salman Fayad has named a commission of inquiry to investigate the incident and to prevent it from happing in the future, the Dubai based al-Arabiya channel said.
By law, the PA's constitution security forces come under the command off the president, but Hamas formed the Executive Forces to act as a foil to security forces allied to President Mahmoud Abbas' rival Fatah faction.
In June the Hamas-linked militants overran the offices and barracks of the security forces loyal to Abbas in Gaza and have controlled them ever since.
While admitting salary payments were made, PA financial officials have downplayed the report.
Said Karnaz, an undersecretary in Fayad's government said that only 300 of the Hamas-linked militants actually received the money, because the payments on the bank accounts of the others were cancelled before withdrawals were made.
Asked to comment on the payments, an unidentified Hamas militant said in an interview with the Arab newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi: "We thought it was a sign from Allah, and also that the Fayad government (which Hamas does not recognise) was in any case considering the unity of the Palestinian people".