On patrol in shijaiyah, the toughest neighborhood in Gaza City, Lieut. Naim Ashraf Mush-taha, 31, an officer of the Hamas Executive Force, spots a man in civilian clothes carrying an M-16 assault rifle and walking through the street suqs in broad daylight. His officers quickly encircle the suspect and demand that he identify himself and turn over the weapon. The man turns out to be a member of one of the neighborhood's most powerful clans, and he refuses to give up his gun. "What"s my name, boys?" he shouts to the gathering crowd of curious onlookers. "Mohassi Abbas!" they shoutrnback. "See, everyone knows who I am," says the gunman. "I don't care who you are," says Mushtaha calmly, without raising his voice or his weapon. "No one is above the law."
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