By DPA
Gaza City : After hours of fighting which killed at least 14 and wounded dozens, Hamas Thursday overpowered one of four major security compounds in Gaza City belonging to President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah-affiliated security forces, hospital officials and witnesses said.
Television pictures on Hamas' Al Aqsa satellite channel showed dozens of members of the force surrendering, walking out the Preventive Security headquarters bare-chested, their hands on their heads.
They ducked briefly as Hamas militants fired over their heads in celebration.
The "conquest" of the compound meant Hamas, which has already seized most security posts in the north and south of the Strip as well as along the border with Egypt in the past two days, meant Gaza was now largely in the hands of the ruling, radical Islamic movement.
Hamas militants also put up several roadblocks along Salah a-Din road, meaning they control the Strip's main north-south traffic artery.
Three other main headquarters in what is known as Gaza City's "Security Square" are still controlled by Fatah. They are Mahmoud Abbas' presidential compound, which houses his offices and Force 17 Presidential Guard, the General Intelligence and the Saraya, the administrative centre of Abbas' security forces in Gaza.
Hinting the presidential compound may be Hamas' next target, Nizar Rajan, a local Hamas leader in northern Gaza, announced that Friday prayers would be held in the residence of Abbas.
Hamas' number two leader in exile, Moussa Abu Marzouk denied that Hamas was trying to create an Islamic regime in Gaza separated from the West Bank. Palestinian territory "is united and will remain", he told DPA in a telephone call. "We will work to liberate all Palestinian lands".
Speaking on Al Aqsa over the images of the surrender of the Preventive Security compound, Abu Zuchri spoke of a major "victory" and a second "liberation" – the first being from the Jewish settlers evacuated from Gaza under Israel's August 2005 unilateral pullout from the Strip, the second from whom he branded as "traitors."
Fatah had earlier denied Hamas' claim of control over the compound, insisting it managed to repel the attack and even arrest some 15 Hamas gunmen.
Abbas meanwhile convened an emergency meeting of Fatah's Central Committee and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee in Ramallah, during which the committee called on him to pull Fatah out of the unity government with Fatah, formed just three months ago in a bid to end internecine fighting.
It also urged him to declare an emergency situation in Gaza. Abbas' media advisor, Nabil Amr, told reporters in Ramallah the president was "studying" the recommendation and would take a decision as soon as possible.
Abbas meanwhile rejected out of hand some eight conditions posed by Hamas in return for a truce, which included demands that he sack certain security chiefs, another aide said earlier.