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Gaza witnessed fighting between Hamas
and Fatah last June [EPA] |
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Six junior officers of the Palestinian presidential guard have been convicted in a military court for abandoning their posts during Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip in June.
The court in Jericho in the West Bank sentenced the six to up to three years in prison on Sunday for disobeying military orders and fleeing Gaza.
Abdel Karim Hamad, the defence lawyer, said there was no evidence of wrongdoing by his clients and that "it is clear this court is looking for scapegoats".
It is the first trial concerning the fighting last June, when Hamas ousted Fatah from the Gaza Strip.
Two colonels of the presidential guard received three-year sentences, and three lower-ranking officers were each sentenced to 18 months. A sixth man received a five-month sentence and two defendants were acquitted.
Hamad said he would appeal to the Palestinian supreme court, claiming the military had no jurisdiction in the case.
Many Fatah loyalists, including leading politicians and security officers, had also fled Gaza during the fighting and have faced no disciplinary actions since then.
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Source: |
Al Jazeera and agencies
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