ANALYSIS: Hamas losing grip on Gaza, Fatah gaining support <br><br> - Haaretz

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Thu., November 15, 2007 Kislev 5, 5768

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		A Hamas militant holding a copy of the Koran while standing on a desk inside the Fatah-run Preventative Security building. (AP)

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Last update - 21:34 13/11/2007

ANALYSIS: Hamas losing grip on Gaza, Fatah gaining support

By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents

tags: Fatah, Israel, Hamas, Gaza

The Hamas gunmen who sought to disperse the crowd at the rally Monday in Gaza marking the third anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat did not use rubber-coated bullets or tear gas; they simply opened fire on the crowd, leaving seven dead and dozens injured. In so doing, they added to the pressure under which the Islamic organization is laboring five months after it took over the Gaza Strip from Fatah forces.

Some people in the West Bank Monday were recalling the "million-man rally" held by the anti-Syrian faction in Beirut after the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri, and the wave of protest that brought about the ejection of the Syrian army from Lebanon. Hamas will not give up Gaza so easily - they have nowhere to go - but senior Fatah members believe the rally might mark the beginning of the end of the bloody Hamas regime in Gaza.

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pposition to Hamas in the Strip, and concomitantly renewed support for Fatah, are on the rise, and the recent violence is expected to reduce Hamas' status further on the Palestinian street, as people in Gaza see Hamas using its terror tactics against its own people.

But even before the rally, Gaza Strip Fatah leaders, who are watching events mainly from hiding in Ramallah or in Cairo, can note with satisfaction the numbers their organization brought to the rally.

Al Jazeera, not known for its support of Fatah, estimated that about 200,000 demonstrators were present. This is an important sign of the frustration in Gaza with the Hamas regime, which is unable to ameliorate the distress in the Strip, worsened by the sanctions Israel and the international community has imposed.

A recent opinion poll conducted by the Palestinian research institute Jerusalem Media and Communication Center revealed that support for Fatah had risen from 30.6 percent in the West Bank and Gaza in September 2006, to 40 percent now, while support for Hamas declined from 29.7 percent to 19.7 percent in the same time period.

The poll also revealed that Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is still the second-most popular leader in the territories, after Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. However Haniyeh is almost completely uninvolved in decision-making now. Sunday, too, his rivals in the organization were the ones calling the shots: former foreign minister Mahmoud a-Zahar, and the members of the Hamas military wing led by Ahmed al-Ja'abari.

Israeli intelligence sources say Ja'abari is the real man in charge in Gaza now. Not only does he force his authority on Haniyeh; he is also trying to shake off the influence of Khaled Meshal, the Damascus-based head of the Hamas political wing.

The hard line of the military wing has prevented any easing of the sanctions on Gaza, and has apparently disrupted attempts at a deal to release kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. It may also increase the chance of large-scale Israeli military operation in the Strip following the Annapolis summit.

Israel believes Fatah is still far from reasserting itself vis-a-vis Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Senior PA officials have warned Israel against moves toward a unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank. Such a withdrawal, they say will lead to more West Bank cities falling to Hamas, whose people are more inspired and organized than Fatah.

Related articles:

Hamas takes fight to Gaza City; 27 killed in clashes

Defense establishment to rethink Gaza policy after Hamas conquest

U.S. blames Hamas for latest round of fighting in Gaza

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1.	Now it is time to tighten the screws even more on Hamas in Gaza	04:48	\|	Genuine Tosefta	13/11/07

2.	Canned story: "In Egypt, calls for peace bring waves of rebuke"	04:50	\|	Genuine Tosefta	13/11/07

3.	Well - 20% of The Population Of Gaza Is Out On The Street	04:56	\|	Eli	13/11/07

4.	Hamasistan	04:56	\|	alan	13/11/07

5.	ISRAEL MUST OPEN DOORS FOR INNOCENT PALSTINIANS TO ESCAPE TO IRAN	04:56	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH)))	13/11/07

6.	HAMAS SHOULD DROWN IN FATAH BLOOD!	05:40	\|	Rabbi Tommy Lipsker	13/11/07

7.	FATAH/MODERATES Must Win/Prevail! Hamas, Etc. Must Lose.	06:19	\|	Proud Pal Defender	13/11/07

8.	SOLUTION: Hamas, Etc. In Gaza And Fatah In The West Bank.	06:22	\|	Proud Pal Defender	13/11/07

9.	For real?	07:42	\|	Esther	13/11/07

10.	Hamas and Fatah slaughtering each other.	08:35	\|	Dr. Jack	13/11/07

11.	Haaretz, please offer guidance	09:08	\|	Leon Rosgarten	13/11/07

12.	they are killing themselves like Jews did	09:22	\|	Steve	13/11/07

13.	Israel must, must cease supplying Hamastan with electricity,	09:27	\|	Dalia	13/11/07

14.	Pure wishful thinking	09:43	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

15.	FATAH/MODERATES Must Win/Prevail! Hamas, Etc. Must Lose.	09:51	\|	Proud Pal Defender	13/11/07

16.	SOLUTION: Hamas, Etc. In Gaza And Fatah In The West Bank.	09:53	\|	Proud Pal Defender	13/11/07

17.	and will it make any difference to the arabs ?	10:39	\|	victor hardman	13/11/07

18.	proud pal is forgetting to take his pills again	10:52	\|	victor hardman	13/11/07

19.	BETWEEN A DREAM AND A REALITY	10:59	\|	indrajaya	13/11/07

20.	A question for a Rabbi # 6	11:06	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

21.	Leon Rosgarten,remember Comrade Stalin,mentor of "Haaretz":	11:21	\|	Absolute Sweden	13/11/07

22.	Rabbi Tommy Lipsker	12:05	\|	notblackorwhite	13/11/07

23.	advice to Clickfool on becoming a mullah	12:11	\|	Watcher	13/11/07

24.	To the bloodthirsty jewish rabbi &other zionists,dream on,Hamas	12:29	\|	lakshmi	13/11/07

25.	Real men	12:33	\|	H	13/11/07

26.	"Analysis"???? It`s Dahlans take on the situation.	12:36	\|	Daniello	13/11/07

27.	#24 To the blood thirsty Ayatollahs & other Arab lovers dream on	12:59	\|	S	13/11/07

28.	For Watcher # 23	13:05	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

29.	To Watcher # 23 - Priceless...	13:21	\|	Klaudia	13/11/07

30.	arabs killing arabs	13:40	\|	natan	13/11/07

31.	Clickfool #28	14:58	\|	S	13/11/07

32.	lakshmi.... the hand writing is on the wall	15:07	\|	Lynn	13/11/07

33.	# 19 Indy... Hamas days are numbered	15:10	\|	Lynn	13/11/07

34.	Ahmadinejad losing grip on power	15:31	\|	Briton	13/11/07

35.	To #1/#2, canned story	15:35	\|	ZS	13/11/07

36.	#11 Leon	15:38	\|	John Allen	13/11/07

37.	What`s your day job, S? # 31	15:41	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

38.	For Klaudia # 29	15:46	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

39.	#12 Steve	15:49	\|	John Allen	13/11/07

40.	Hobbes` Gaza	15:52	\|	khairi janbek	13/11/07

41.	TWO TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS FIGHT IT OUT	16:25	\|	B.Heddem	13/11/07

42.	wtacher # 23,you forgot one more thing,stealing internationally	16:33	\|	terrornator	13/11/07

43.	To clickfool	16:34	\|	nick	13/11/07

44.	What a stupid analysis	16:44	\|	Gee	13/11/07

45.	bravo leon!	16:56	\|	vladimir	13/11/07

46.	To Lynn & the other zionists,Mishal in his recent interview with	16:57	\|	lakshmi	13/11/07

47.	#37 Clickfool	17:14	\|	S	13/11/07

48.	Shootout in Gaza.	17:24	\|	Stephen.	13/11/07

49.	For Clickfool #14...not exactly knitting, but...	17:58	\|	Esther	13/11/07

50.	25 H why would they go to Hamas when they have real men,that	18:08	\|	lakshmi	13/11/07

51.	Re Tommy the "rabbi" #6 shames us all...	18:13	\|	Esther	13/11/07

52.	For nick # 43	19:41	\|	Clickfool	13/11/07

53.	#Lakshmi	19:49	\|	H	13/11/07

54.	Shamful Esther,you`re redeemed,Israeli court`s released murderers	20:18	\|	Absolute Sweden	13/11/07

55.	Bad news is: Hamas gaining ground in the West Bank	21:13	\|	Jake	13/11/07

56.	And the Taliban still control Afghanistan, Lakshmi	21:25	\|	Polybios	13/11/07

57.	Now its time to finish Hamas off	21:30	\|	Kipperraes	13/11/07

58.	Hamas - Morally and Politically BANKRUPT	22:22	\|	Sammy	13/11/07

59.	Naive chirping by innocent minds...	23:26	\|	17	13/11/07

60.	53 H,true,this article is about :Hamas,not israel or the west,	00:07	\|	lakshmi	14/11/07

61.	56Polybios,you seem to read a different set of sources than I do,	00:14	\|	lakshmi	14/11/07

62.	to Clickfool	01:54	\|	Nick	14/11/07

63.	Proud Pal defender	02:17	\|	Danite	14/11/07

64.	53 H briefly,2nd Try,you`ve nicely managed in your stats to	03:51	\|	lakshmi	14/11/07

65.	#42 Say Terrornator	04:15	\|	ballistic	14/11/07

66.	Kipperraes	04:19	\|	ballistic	14/11/07

67.	With friends like Lakshmi, palestinians don`t need enemies	05:55	\|	Voice of Reason	14/11/07

68.	CFOOL ETC you SURE he is a Rabbi ,not one of your mob?	06:22	\|	PETER S.M.	14/11/07

69.	Indra	08:37	\|	Willy	14/11/07

70.	For Nick again # 62	09:25	\|	Clickfool	14/11/07

71.	Down the Rabbit Hole with Peter SM # 68	09:31	\|	Clickfool	14/11/07

72.	# 64 lakshmi, Re Blaming the victims	09:31	\|	Dutch	14/11/07

73.	# 60 lakshmi, Re Islamic extremists	10:07	\|	dutch	14/11/07

74.	no hamas after this time	12:37	\|	nadeem	14/11/07

75.	Proud Pal Defender	14:25	\|	British Leftie	15/11/07

76.	That`s for sure, Lakshmi #61	17:28	\|	Polybios	15/11/07

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