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Last update - 00:00 03/08/2008
ANALYSIS / Gaza infighting could topple Israel-Hamas truce
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
Tags: Israel, Fatah 

Some of the Fatah loyalists who fled from the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority following Hamas' takeover in June 2007 described Saturday's events in the Shijaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza City - four Hamas dead and 80 others injured - as "poetic justice."

Ahmed Khiles, a senior Fatah strongman in the Gaza Strip, who was quick to blame another Fatah strongman, Mohammed Dahlan and his men, for Hamas' violence in the Strip Saturday became the main target of the Islamist group. There is no particular reason for this turn of events, except that Khiles who had allied his clan with Hamas and was allowed to keep their arms is no longer perceived by Hamas as being useful.

The blast on the Gaza beach last week, which claimed the lives of members of Hamas and for which there is still no certainty that Fatah was responsible, gave the Islamic group an opportunity to target Khiles and try to expunge all Fatah presence in the Strip. But the recent Hamas attacks are not contributing to the group's popularity in the Gaza Strip.
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The PA's efforts to arrest members of Hamas and other extremist Islamic groups continue in tandem. Mohammed Ghazal, a senior Hamas figure in the West Bank, was kidnapped by Fatah gunmen in Nablus. These actions also undermine the PA's image.

Many Palestinian analysts say that since the tahadiyeh, the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic organization has gained popularity in the West Bank, even though its standing in the Gaza Strip has suffered a blow.

Hamas is perceived in the West Bank as having succeeded to force Israel into a deal on its own terms at a time when Mahmoud Abbas and the PA have been unable to deliver an agreement with Israel.

Fatah remains dysfunctional and corrupt, while Hamas is seen as the reasonable option.

However, at this stage Hamas lacks the necessary military infrastructure in the West Bank to threaten the PA, mostly because of the efforts of the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service. The arrests of Hamas operatives in the West Bank have undermined the PA further, because it is perceived to be a dictatorship.

On the other hand, in the Gaza Strip, Hamas is seen as a radical, oppressive and violent organization that uses force to eliminate political rivals.

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      1.   so what? nobody cares who kills who. 04:31  |  dav zee 03/08/08
      2.   RUN FOREST RUN (ABBAS) 05:57  |  VIPER 03/08/08
      3.   This article does not live up to their title 06:20  |  Eric Wilson 03/08/08
      4.   A bad-good day at Black Rock 06:44  |  Ramius 03/08/08
      5.   Always the same doubletalk from Israel 07:00  |  Natallie Durson 03/08/08
      6.   We told you so... 07:09  |  BBSNews 03/08/08
      7.   You do not talk to terrorists, you fight and defeat them. 08:17  |  Jean Van Daem 03/08/08
      8.   #5 Always the same doubletalk from Natallie 10:00  |  DesMnsDave 03/08/08
      9.   Tripping over Miracles 10:06  |  Gary Cooperberg 03/08/08
      10.   Ridiculous assessment 10:30  |  Clickfool 03/08/08
      11.   #6bbs and looking up independence ave. to see burger king 10:31  |  victor hardman 03/08/08
      12.   Jean van Daem whitewashes Israeli slaughter before it`s started 10:52  |  Clickfool 03/08/08
      13.   Once Truce is broken, Israel has a chance to invade Gaza 10:59  |  The Archives 03/08/08
      14.   How are you at hand-to-hand fighting, Jean van Daem? #7 11:00  |  Clickfool 03/08/08
      15.   12 ClickTool WHY DO YOU CARE 11:34  |  Absolutely Canadian 03/08/08
      16.   Why don`t we read about the tens of Palestinians killed and 11:45  |  Albert 03/08/08
      17.   OI OI OI begining to run out of hatefull subjects? 11:56  |  joseph theeboom 03/08/08
      18.   For Absolute Canadian # 15 11:57  |  Clickfool 03/08/08
      19.   W/B ARABS: ONLY 2 OPTIONS ARE (A) HAMAS RULE (B) JORDANIAN RULE 12:02  |  G Marcus 03/08/08
      20.   heles 13:34  |  ahmed 03/08/08
      21.   Gaza & Asphalt 14:03  |  Ori 03/08/08
      22.   Click "FOOL" Sussex 14:22  |  Ori 03/08/08
      23.   Further evidence has now been prpvided 14:24  |  Yonatan 03/08/08
      24.   #2 Tell men, Viper 14:26  |  Yonatan 03/08/08
      25.   Clickfool`s nonsensical vision of Hamas 14:26  |  Ramius 03/08/08
      26.   #10 Clickfool agrees with me 14:34  |  Yonatan 03/08/08
      27.   Truce ! 16:36  |  Akram Zekaria 03/08/08
      28.   Bungling producing the perfect situation for Hamas 16:47  |  Mark Lincoln 03/08/08
      29.   Promised and delivered: arabs killing eachother ^_^ 17:29  |  Denise Thompson 03/08/08
      30.   #7-Don`t Just Destroy Hamas 17:29  |  Elliott 03/08/08
      31.   It is high time the world community set out to resolve this ... 18:08  |  Avihu 03/08/08
      32.   Two corrupt options 18:17  |  Joseph 03/08/08
      33.   clickfool 18:26  |  alan 03/08/08
      34.   Avihu, as an Arab and a Palestinian 18:46  |  Fawaz 03/08/08
      35.   Why do we try to connect with Clickfool? 19:07  |  H 03/08/08
      36.   To # 16 Haaratz is BIAS 19:29  |  Fred 03/08/08
      37.   Fawaz Well Said 19:39  |  Absolutely Canadian 03/08/08
      38.   For Alan # 32 20:55  |  Clickfool 03/08/08
      39.   For H # 34 21:04  |  Clickfool 03/08/08
      40.   29 Elliott - 1.2 Million Kids 21:16  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/08/08
      41.   16 Mark Lincoln - FUBAR Policy or Plan 21:40  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/08/08
      42.   Clickfool 39 22:02  |  ChanahS 03/08/08
      43.   Mark of Lewiston 41 - you leave out an essential 22:06  |  ChanahS 03/08/08
      44.   Did anyone think this `Truce ` would last? 22:44  |  Natasha 03/08/08
      45.   43 ChannahS - Full Sequence 22:50  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/08/08
      46.   #39 Clickfool 22:51  |  H 03/08/08
      47.   clickfool 22:57  |  alan 03/08/08
      48.   ChanahS - Abrams is a Plotter 23:01  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/08/08
      49.   Clickfoll 18, 39 etc, etc. 01:11  |  Elihu 04/08/08
      50.   Mark of Lewiston 48 01:17  |  ChanahS 04/08/08
      51.   ChanahS - Elliott Abrams 03:09  |  Markof Lewiston 04/08/08
      52.   Arabs can`t live in peace with each other 04:42  |  Mark 04/08/08
      53.   #45 The full, full sequence, Mark 12:17  |  Elihu 04/08/08
      54.   # 2 VIPER...YES,RUN,RUN.BUT WHO ARE YOU REALLY? 22:50  |  anonymous 04/08/08
      55.   TRUCE, WHAT TRUCE!?!? 19:13  |  leoy 24/06/09
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