Fatah fires senior member for criminal, financial charges

The Fatah party has officially fired a senior member for criminal and financial charges, a source from the party said Thursday.

The decision to fire Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of the Palestinian National Authority's forces in the Gaza Strip, was supported by 76 members of Fatah's revolutionary council, a member of the council told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Thirteen members voted against the decision while seven refused to vote.

In June, Fatah's central committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, sacked Dahlan, who was also one of the committee members. The decision to fire Dahlan finally requires the approval of the revolutionary council, according to Fatah's internal regulations.

Dahlan, a Gaza native who is outside the Palestinian territories, can not be reached for any comment.

The firing of Dahlan came after Abbas formed a committee to investigate charges against him. The committee found that Dahlan was implicated in criminal and financial charges, including corruption and murder.