Apparently fearing the democratically-elected Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, imminent control over the PA government and ministries in the coming weeks, the PA chief, Mahmoud Abbas, on Tuesday issued a presidential edict turning control of a number of the PA media apparatuses to his office.

The Hebrew radio quoted a number of Abbas associates as saying, "The PA president restored control over crucial PA media apparatuses, including the PA radio and TV bureau". Many viewed Abbas' step as aimed at derailing functions of the next Hamas-led cabinet.

Last year, Abbas devolved authority of those media apparatuses to the former PA information minister, Nabil Shaath.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian government deprecated the PA for failure to apprehend kidnappers of its military attaché in its mission in Gaza Strip Husam Al-Mosali last week.

The Palestinian Dunia Al-Watan newspaper reported on its website that the Egyptian government was fumed over the incident, and demanded an immediate arrest and punishment of the culprits.

"The PA foreign ministry received an Egyptian message affirming Cairo will not let the incident pass unpunished as it was aimed at marring PA-Egypt relationship", local media sources reported.

"The Egyptian consulate in Gaza suspended issuing visas to Palestinian citizens from Gaza Strip wishing to visit Egypt till kidnappers of the attaché are rounded up and received their deserved punishment", the sources added.

A previously unknown group calling itself the Brigades of the Free claimed responsibility for the kidnapping incident, demanding the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Egypt in exchange for the attaché's freedom.

The attaché was later safely released without a single Palestinian prisoner freed in Egypt, which stirs suspicion over the real motive of the kidnappers.

In a related matter, the Palestinian Attorney-General, Ahmed Al-Mughanni, affirmed the release of a number of Palestinian citizens from PA jails as their detention wasn't granted by the Palestinian prosecution.

A number of Palestinian citizens were arbitrarily apprehended from their houses, some on Israeli request, and thrown inside the PA jails for long periods without charging them, which blatantly violated the law.

Meanwhile, the PA liaison office in Qalqilia city turned to their Israeli counterparts 16 stolen Israeli vehicles.

PA security apparatuses and policemen launched a campaign in search of stolen Israeli vehicles brought to the West Bank.

Palestinian citizens affirmed that most of those ill-gotten cars were stolen at the hands of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, who later on sell them as genuine to Palestinian citizens.

The PA liaison office asserted that the Israeli occupation government deducts huge sums from the PA tax funds collected by Israel for every stolen car.

Source: Palestinian Information Center