Not a single Palestinian spokesman or commentator had any doubts last night that the killings in Beit Hanun would soon result in a revenge attack by Hamas. The demand to avenge the killings in Beit Hanun, of whom seven were children, encompassed all the Palestinian political factions. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was the only one who sounded comparatively moderate: He called for a "united and coordinated Palestinian response," which some listeners interpeted as a warning against a major attack by Hamas. Shortly afterward, Hamas leader Khaled Meshal held a press conference in Damascus and said that all the Palestinian factions should order their members to commit "acts of resistance" - i.e., terror attacks. Nizar Ghian, a Hamas operative in Gaza, also called openly for a return to the policy of resistance.

On the political level, there is no doubt that yesterday's deaths, on top of those of the 53 other residents of the area killed in Israel Defense Forces operations in Beit Hanun over the last few days, greatly weakened Abu Mazen in his negotiations with Hamas over establishment of a national unity government. "How is it possible, at a time like this, to speak about recognition of and friendship with Israel?" demanded the speakers at a large student demonstration at Al-Quds University, in the East Jerusalem suburb of Abu Dis. At similar demonstrations throughout the West Bank and Gaza yesterday, participants voiced their pain, anger and demands for revenge. But what stood out above all was the fact that a kind of unity had been created among all the rival factions: All declared that there was no point in peace negotiations with Israel and expressed opposition to Abu Mazen's moderate political path.

As a result, there is growing public pressure on Hamas to respond with "at least one major attack," as one Arab journalist in East Jerusalem said yesterday. The PA declared a three-day mourning strike, and Palestinian spokesmen expressed the hope that the bloodshed would finally rouse the Arab states to cease the boycott they have imposed on the Pale stinian government and people and resume fund transfers to Gaza and the West Bank.

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The negotiations between Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh have been halted, and both were photographed giving blood at a Gaza hospital yesterday. Nevertheless, it seems clear that the talks will continue in the coming days. The diplomatic platform of the proposed unity government, which is based on the so-called prisoners' document, has been more or less agreed upon by both sides, but two problems are preventing a final deal. The harder one is the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for Israel's release of Palestinian prisoners. Shalit's release is supposed to be one of the first articles in any agreement between Abbas and Haniyeh, but there seems to be no solution to this problem, due to disagreements between Israel and Hamas over the deal.

The second problem is who will head the unity government, which will be composed of technocrats and public figures appointed by Hamas and Fatah. The favorite candidate seems to be Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nasser al-Din al-Shaer of Ramallah, who is considered a Hamas sympathizer, but is not a member of the organization. He was arrested by the IDF during a round-up of Hamas ministers and legislators in the West Bank following Shalit's abduction, but was released not long afterward. Abbas will apparently agree to Shaer's appointment, because he can be presented to the world as someone who is not a Hamas representative.