Gaza crisis: Who's who

Profiles of Palestinian officials and organisations involved in the political crisis in Gaza.

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YASSER ARAFAT

The unfolding crisis in the Gaza Strip goes all the way to the top of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its leader, Yasser Arafat.

Arafat is facing the gravest threat for years

It is the most serious threat the veteran leader has faced since his triumphant return to Gaza under peace accords with Israel in 1994.

The chaos stems from Mr Arafat's long-held refusal to delegate proper power, and instead divide and rule over an array of competing security organs, weak prime ministers and loyalists appointed to key positions.

Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's attempt to resign at the weekend because of a growing lawlessness he has no power to control prompted Mr Arafat to bend to popular pressure to reform the security apparatus and appoint his cousin, Moussa Arafat, in overall charge.

The move, however, was a miscalculation and widely viewed as a clear case of nepotism. Mr Arafat was forced to replace Moussa, who is deeply unpopular in Gaza and seen as the epitome of corruption.

Despite his physical isolation in his besieged headquarters in Ramallah, Mr Arafat is still a pivotal figure and remains by far the most popular figure among the Palestinian leadership.

Profile: Yasser Arafat

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AHMED QUREI

Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Ala, became the Palestinians' second prime minister, in September 2003.

Qurei has complained of too little power

Born in Jerusalem in 1937, Mr Qurei rose to prominence in the PLO in the mid-1970s, and was close to Yasser Arafat in Lebanon and Tunis, before returning to Gaza with the PLO leader in 1994.

The former Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Mr Qurei exhibited an independence which sat uneasily with Mr Arafat's autocratic style.

Soon after his appointment as prime minister, he clashed with the Palestinian leader over the composition of his cabinet, and he has frequently expressed frustration at his lack of real power needed to take control of the increasingly chaotic situation on the streets of Gaza.

Mr Qurei's offer to resign on 17 July 2004, because of what he called "unprecedented lawlessness", was rejected by Mr Arafat, but the prime minister continues to insist his position has become untenable.

Profile: Ahmed Qurei

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MOUSSA ARAFAT

Yasser Arafat's appointment of Moussa Arafat as security chief in the West Bank and Gaza on 17 July 2004 was meant to quell growing calls for reform of the security services, but the move triggered clashes between forces loyal to Moussa Arafat and al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades fighters seeking to root out corruption.

Moussa Arafat's appointment sparked charges of nepotism

A cousin of the Palestinian leader, Moussa Arafat's promotion appeared to be a clear case of nepotism - a state of affairs increasingly despised by Palestinian society.

Yasser Arafat relented and apparently demoted Moussa to head of military intelligence in Gaza, under Abdel Razek al-Majeida, whom he initially replaced.

Moussa Arafat is widely unpopular among Palestinians, who view him as one of the "old guard" and steeped in corruption.

As chief of military intelligence in the 1990s, Moussa Arafat earned a reputation for ruthlessness, including a 1996 crackdown on Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, when he shaved the heads and beards of detainees as a form of humiliation.

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ABDEL RAZEK AL-MAJEIDA

Majeida was dropped then swiftly reinstated

Abdel Razek al-Majeida was re-appointed head of general security in Gaza and the West Bank on 19 July 2004 amid one of the worst political crises facing the Palestinian Authority since its inception in 1993.

He was sacked from the post just days before by Yasser Arafat, after years of simmering popular discontent at corruption in the Palestinian Authority sparked a spate of kidnappings of security officials in Gaza.

Mr Majeida's restored position elevated him above Moussa Arafat, whose own appointment as security chief in Gaza triggered violent street protests.

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ISMAIL JABER

Ismail Jaber was appointed head of general security in the West Bank on 19 July 2004 as part of a shake-up in the Palestinian security forces following violent protests.

An Arafat loyalist, Mr Jaber has worked alongside the veteran leader for many years.

He returned to the Palestinian territories after the signing of the Oslo Accords, when he became commander of National Security Forces in the West Bank.

A member of the Palestinian Central Council, Mr Jaber resigned as security chief in April 2004, complaining of growing lawlessness and anarchy.

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AL-AQSA MARTYRS' BRIGADES

An offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades was founded in the Balata refugee camp of Nablus, days after the second Palestinian uprising - or al-Aqsa Intifada - broke out in September 2000.

The Brigades have spearheaded the intifada

The group has been one of the driving forces behind the uprising, rejecting any accommodation with Israel and viewing armed struggle as the way to establish a Palestinian state.

It is one of the most violent of the Palestinian militant groups which have characterised the intifada, having carried out hundreds of suicide bombings and gun attacks against Israeli targets.

The brigades swear loyalty to Yasser Arafat, but the degree to which the Palestinian leader directly controls their day-to-day operations is subject to debate.

They have recently taken a public stand against corruption in the Palestinian Authority, fiercely denouncing as nepotism the appointment of Yasser Arafat's cousin, Moussa, as security chief in the West Bank and Gaza on 17 July 2004.

The group demanded Moussa's removal and clashed with Moussa loyalists, prompting Mr Arafat to restore the previous security chief and demote his cousin to a lesser rank.

Profile: Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades

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FATAH

Fatah (Movement for the National Liberation of Palestine) was founded by Yasser Arafat, among others, in 1965.

Advocating armed struggle against Israel, Fatah guerrillas staged attacks against the Jewish state, including hijackings and armed raids.

The group's popularity grew and it became the largest faction in the PLO in 1968.

While the PLO underwent an historic rapprochement with Israel under the Oslo Accords in 1993, Fatah has recently spawned offshoots, such as the Tanzim and the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, which declare loyalty to Mr Arafat but have resumed the armed struggle against Israel.

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