Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has named three new leaders for the security forces and forced hundreds of their men into retirement, pushing aside top commanders from Yasir Arafat's old guard.

The shake-up on Saturday brings Abbas closer to meeting Israeli and US demands for reform of corruption-plagued security forces, also criticised by ordinary Palestinians for failing to maintain law and order.

Brigadier-General Sulaiman Hillis was named national security forces commander to replace Musa Arafat, a powerful figure in Gaza who is a cousin of the late Palestinian leader.

Abbas replaced Palestinian intelligence chief Amin al-Hindi with his deputy, Tariq Abu Rajab. Ala Husni was named as the new police chief.

Retirement

Hundreds of other security personnel were forced out under a new law requiring staff to retire at 60, including dozens of senior officers, among them 11 with the rank of major-general.

"Today they are giving a wonderful new example by the smooth and civilised transfer of responsibility and authority," said senior Abbas aide Tayib Abd al-Rahim in a statement.

Abbas, elected in January, is walking a political tightrope in carrying out the reforms.

While he is under pressure at home and abroad for reforms that could be vital to Middle East peacemaking, Abbas needs to avoid alienating powerful leaders in the faction-ridden Fatah movement who have long held sway over security forces.

The United States and Israel had been pushing for changes to more than a dozen security forces that were often in competition with each other.

Disorder

Palestinians complained that disorder was growing despite the tens of thousands of security forces personnel, who were widely seen as incompetent and often corrupt.

Abbas has guaranteed good pensions for the departing officers, which could help reduce opposition to the forced retirements, officials said.

Abd al-Rahim said two of the outgoing security personnel, Musa Arafat and al-Hindi, had been reassigned as special advisers to the president.

PHOTO CAPTION

New Palestinian police chief Ala Hosni (L) walks with former police chief Mahmoud Asfor, who was forced into retirement by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in Gaza April 24, 2005. (Reuters)