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JERUSALEM - The shadowy military wing of Hamas went public Saturday, revealing the names of its top commanders and outlining the history and increasing sophistication of its attacks against Israel in the latest salvo in the battle for credit over Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
The Islamic group insists its fighters drove Israel out, while Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas credits his nonviolent approach. The jockeying for public opinion ahead of Palestinian legislative elections next year could have lasting implications for the future makeup of the Palestinian Authority and the fate of nascent peace efforts with Israel.
In a posting on its Web site - and on tens of thousands of fliers to be distributed in Palestinian towns in the coming days - the Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, detailed its command structure, publishing the names of seven top commanders along with photos and biographies and interviews.
The names were known to some in Gaza and analysts said Israeli intelligence almost certainly had all that information already, but the posting marked the first time Hamas' military arm published intricate details of its operations, leaders and their responsibilities.
The posting was part of a new campaign by the Islamic group to glorify its fighters and burnish its credentials as a liberation movement ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for January.
Sitting at the top of Hamas' military command structure was Mohammed Deif, who has been No. 1 on Israel's wanted list for years and...