Fayad's Fatah-controlled government paid salaries Tuesday to members of Hamas's paramilitary Executive Force, which fought in June against the Fatah-aligned Palestinian Authority security forces, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.

However, some Hamas officials said the payments received by at least half of the 6,500 members of the militia are being treated as a goodwill gesture from Fayad and PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who outlawed the Executive Force earlier in the year.

"We were surprised to see that the Ramallah government had paid salaries to our security forces," said Saber Khalifeh, a spokesman for the Executive Force. "We regard this step as recognition of the Executive Force on the part of the Fayad government."

Khalifeh said it was the first payment the men had received from the government in 12 months.