In recent weeks, he has forced top security leaders into retirement and promised to streamline and restructure the security services, which grew increasingly corrupt during the chaos of 4Æ years of fighting with Israel.
''The Palestinian Authority policy is clear. No one is above the law, and we will work until we put an end to the lawlessness in the Palestinian areas," said Tawfik Abu Khoussa, spokesman for Palestinian Interior Minister Nasser Yousef.
To carry out Abbas's mission, one bulldozer guarded by seven jeeps and 30 Palestinian officers entered the Sudania area on the coast of northern Gaza yesterday morning to crush the three homes, which were being built by a major, a lieutenant colonel, and a colonel on public land they illegally seized. The operation encountered no resistance.
Construction on the two-story concrete houses, which had a clear view of the Mediterranean 300 feet away, was almost finished. One house was surrounded by a small flower garden. After the demolition crews left, some sheep and two donkeys fed on the remains of the garden.
Later yesterday, Palestinian police arrested three Hamas militants carrying homemade rockets in their car, the Interior Ministry spokesman said. This occurred a few minutes after militants fired two rockets at an Israeli town just outside Gaza. A Hamas spokesman said the militants did not fire the rockets.
Palestinian officials said yesterday's demolitions -- which occurred after Abbas ordered the destruction of hundreds of illegal shops, cafés, and kiosks near the beach in Gaza City in January -- signaled a wider crackdown on corruption.
''The demolition of the three houses today is the beginning, and any other abuse is going to be resolved the same way," Abu Khoussa said.
The demolition harkened to Israel's destruction of hundreds of Palestinian houses as punishment for terrorist acts over the past few years of conflict, but instead of condemning the move, Palestinians praised their leaders.
