( AP ) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah dissolved the National Security Council on Monday in a further bid to weaken the rival Hamas group.
The council was formed as part of the governing alliance Hamas and Fatah set up in March, in a bid to divide security responsibilities between the factions. Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, deposed by Abbas last week, was appointed deputy council chairman under the Palestinian president.
But disputes over control of the powerful security forces were never resolved, and the council never met. Last week, the internal strife between Hamas and Fatah degenerated into civil war, and Hamas took over the Gaza Strip.