The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) said yesterday that it would join a newsecurity force which the Hamas-led government intends to establish.

A PRC spokesman who only identified himself as Abu Abeer made the announcement at a news conference held in Gaza City.

"We have informed the Interior Ministry of our complete readiness to contribute 500 fighters to the new security force," Abu Abeer said.

He also pledged PRC's support to the Hamas-led government, saying the cabinet was legitimate and deserved PRC's loyalty and support to help it in the face of internal and external pressures.

The PRC spokesman also condemned the West's cutoff of aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government, slamming it as "an immoralact meant to punish the Palestinian people for their independent stances."

On April 20, the Hamas government announced its decisions to set up a 3,000-personnel new security force and appoint PRC leader Jamal Abu Samhadana as its head.

The decisions were later vetoed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who termed them illegal.

But Hamas retorted that the decisions came within law and the Palestinian national interests.

The dispute over the control of the Palestinian security forces has sparked clashes between supporters of Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas loyalists despite the two sides' pledge to end tension.

Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, defeated Abbas' Fatah movement in the January elections and its government formally took office on March 29. But the security forces consist mainly of Fatah members and supporters.

The radical Islamic group has rejected Abbas' calls to open talks with Israel and honor previous Palestinian-Israeli agreements, insisting on Israel's destruction.