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Hard times in Gaza swell the ranks of Hamas police
Taher al-Mazlum is desperate to join the Hamas-run police in the Gaza Strip, not because he agrees with the Islamist group's hardline ideology, but because he needs money to get married.
The 20-year-old was one of more than 14,000 Palestinians who have recently applied for jobs in security forces run by Hamas, which after two years of crippling Israeli sanctions has become one of Gaza's largest employers.
"I was engaged two months ago, but my father cannot help us with the wedding or with buying or renting a home," Mazlum said after passing a required fitness exam at a sprawling public square in Gaza City.
"I am not interested in joining any faction. It's the economic situation that has pushed me to join the police. It's an opportunity to work," he said.