Hamas almost in complete control of Gaza...

Hamas flag flying over Fatah Preventive Security HQ, Gaza City

Hamas continues to complete its takeover of the Gaza Strip.

Early today, Hamas overran the Fatah preventive Security headquarters and the General Security Services compound in Gaza City and the border command post in Rafah.Their Fatah commander, General Tawfik Tirawi was not with his men but, like the other Fatah `generals' and `commanders' is holed up in Ramallah on the West Bank. It appears that most of the Fatah leadership saw what was coming, and those who could get themselves out did, leaving the rank and file Fatah gang members to fend for themselves.

In Gaza City, Hamas was seen dragging Fatah prisoners out of the buildings, and witnesses said Hamas fighters dragged many of the Fatah gunmen from the building and shot them to death gangland-style in the street in front of their families.Masked Hamas fighters seized their US-made and Israeli equipment and vehicle number plates and rifled intelligence files.

Both of these compounds were built with American tax dollars.

Hamas spokespeople claim that the documents seized prove that the Fatah security apparatus has close ties with the American CIA,and said they would show the documents on television in the coming hours.

Hamas now controls the roads into Gaza and pretty much all of the major installations except Mahmoud Abbas' presidential compound in Gaza City. That's surrounded by Hamas and under siege, and Hamas has given the Fatah fighters inside until Friday to surrender.

There are various contradicting reports on whether Mahmoud Abbas has formally dissolved the Hamas-Fatah unity government. I'd say that Hamas has already done it for him...

UPDATE: Mahmoud Abbas has officially dissolved the PA unity government, kicked Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh out of office, says that a `state of emergency' exists in the PA and that he will appoint what he describes as `an emergency government'.

Good luck with that.