Radical groups in Gaza a growing threat to Hamas
Radical groups have targeted Hamas in a recent series of explosions; Hamas responds with dozens of arrests.
By Avi Issacharoff Tags: Hamas Israel news GazaThe recent calm on the Israel-Gaza border could be deceiving. Hamas is not firing rockets into Israel and is also preventing more radical groups from launching rockets. At the same time, Hamas is coping with the domestic threat posed by radical groups that identify with Al-Qaida. Recent reports from Gaza indicate that these groups are getting stronger, at the expense of Hamas.
At this point, these groups do not pose much of a threat to Hamas' authority, but Gaza authorities believe that they could pose a concrete threat in the distant future.
Last week, operatives from one of the fundamentalist groups set off three explosive charges in the Shati refugee camp, not far from the home of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Two weeks ago, the car of a Hamas police officer was blown up in Khan Younis and three cars of Hamas officials exploded in Gaza City. Three similar explosions occurred in January. Also, there have been attempts to blow up Red Cross vehicles and pharmacies that sell condoms.
Last week, Hamas arrested dozens of suspected supporters of the "Army of Islam", identified with Gaza's Salafi branch, and is also moving against the Darmush clan. According to various assessments, these arrests were connected to the explosions that targeted Hamas.
The radical Islamists in Gaza are divided into several groups: Jaljalat consists of former Hamas members who left the organization because they felt it was not a jihadist movement. Jaljalat opposes attacking fellow Palestinians. On the other hand, there are groups like Jund Ansar Allah, Army of Islam and Army of the Nation which are much closer ideologically to Al-Qaida, and these groups are responsible for attacks on cafes and Christian institutions in Gaza.
The largest confrontation to date between Hamas and radical Islamist groups occurred last year in Rafah, when Hamas attacked a mosque in which Jund Ansar Allah operatives were holed up, killing 26 Palestinians, including the leader of the group.
In one recent report, the head of the Salafist movement in Gaza said his supporters would support the Hamas government if it followed Sharia law. If it failed to do so, the Salafists would view the Hamas government as an obstacle to the implementation of God's laws.
Despite the growing armed opposition to Hamas rule in Gaza, Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hamad said that Hamas is in control of the situation.
In conclusion, it is possible that Israel, which until now has viewed Hamas as its biggest enemy in Gaza, needs to take into account that within a couple of years Hamas will be the moderate force in Gaza protecting the calm while a monstrous and more dangerous threat is growing in the form of the ultra-radical groups.
Posted by Avi Issacharoff on March 4, 2010
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long nerow slices of the ice shelf that fitt togather at the lateral ends,and ram them into Gaza at high speed like a long fraight train that the ice would slide all the way to the dead sea ,we need a chanal any way to continue the Nile River into the Arabian peninsula
what sort of idiotic comment is that? palestinians, as well as using armed resistance, have used non-violence to protest the occupation and israelis policies against them for years. non-violent demonstrators are always attacked with violence by israeli border police and army. violence is part of society now - for both jews and palestinians. and you are extremely ignorant.
Paul has made some valid remarks...but please do not advocate more violence....just the opposite ........embrace non violence ..........make the violent ones ashamed .........these few barbaric misfits have been using ideology or simple criminal intents to make life hell in Palestine....please inventory all those palestinians who contributed to the violence .........remember even the Steinbecks in Yafo.
where are so many stupid people born? the violent man and women are sinking gaza.... israel and the enlightened west must order compulsory courses in non violence to the wiolent individuals of the gaza society, including the resident iranian agents.... the un could order psych screen for all 0-120 years old
the Nazi party will emerged and finally take control of Gaza.
Lee, seriously. How do you explain the Muslim V Muslim attacks in Pakistan, or Iraq, or Iran, or Indonesia, or Russia, or anywhere else the intolerent live.. Not many Israelis in those countries. And remember, these groups existed before Hamas and that Hamas is attacking them, not Israel. When one subscribes to a totally intolerant policy there can be no reasoning. Hamas is just a victom of its own insanity.
The israeli leaders, whatever direction they come from, will be very interested in having the extreme rightists in islamic movements to cntrol gaza and even west bank.Israel wants peace , the peace that realizes their expansion and superiority. A spiritual earthquake will erupt soon or later.
You might be right, but there will eventually be a breaking point. According to the pattern you describe, Israel will keep destroying these groups until there isn't a group left that can possibly be more fundamental than the last one destroyed. In the end, the fundamentalists lose. Maybe Israel is smarter than you think.
I being Palestinian recommend everyone support Hamas to finally reconcile with Fatah and join forces. Arm them to the teeth and have them crush those ultra-radical Muslims NOW! There never was and there never should be any form of radicalism within Palestine. I will never accept any form of Islamic law onto Palestine and neither should any true Palestinian! Religion and state should remain seperate forever... Everyone should be free to worship as they choose, whether Pal Muslim, Pal Christian, or Pal Jew without persecution from anyone. Just leave it out of the justice department. Ismail Haniyeh and Salam Fayyad best get together quick and make this happen for the good of all Palestine. We have always been a strong and proud people, and have never let other surrounding nations influence us in a radical way. Keep that BS in Iran, Afghanistan, or any other radicalized country...not for us.
What Israel needs to learn is the same lesson as US UK etc learned in WWII: It is necessary to destroy the enemy and force them to surrender UNCONDITIONALLY. Thanks for underlining that important issue
It's the Palestinians who will suffer most with a Taliban-style government. They will be wishing for full Israeli occupation once again.
As long as I've been watching Israeli politics I've noticed one thing. The Pals have always had multiple groups. It has allows them to always attack Israel while claiming false truce. One group says it will not attack but another does so nothing changes. Now you guys are probably right...about more radical groups... since Hamas killed 26 Pals to enforce its position. But I see the beginning of the shell game in Gaza, Hamas claiming truce while whoever does their dirty work. Maybe not now, but later.
This is always the end of result of Israeli policy. They destroyed Fatah in the 1980s and ended up with Hamas. They destroy Hamas and end up with Al Qaeda. You see the pattern here. They destroy one group and end up with another group that's even more radical and illogical. I wonder if anybody ever learns anything. Probably not. Just keep pounding away. Lee