Figure 1.-- |
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Since the Hamas electoral victory (January 2006), violence has intensified between Fatah and Hamas militias. The fighting escalated in 2007. This has become known as Fauda (anarchy). Many Palestinians have been killed in the internecine fighting. After several days of intensive fighting, Hamas seized control of most of Gaza (June 13, 2007). A press report indicated, "Hamas forces consolidated control over much of Gaza on Wednesday, taking command of the main north-south road and blowing up a Fatah headquarters in Khan Yunis, in the south. In northern Gaza and Gaza City, Hamas military men, many of them in black masks, moved unchallenged through the streets as Fatah fighters ran short of arms and ammunition and abandoned their posts. Hamas controlled all of Gaza City except for the presidential compound of Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and the Suraya headquarters of the National Security Forces, the Palestinian army. Hamas has surrounded Al Suraya, calling on the occupants to surrender." [Erlanger]
Hamas has grown in influence and strength during the Interfada. Hamas has been attempting to sell Islamism to the Palestinian population. And this has included the secular Fatah. The Islamic message has been promoted under the guise of "resistance" to the Idrealis and "killing Jews." The Oslo Peace Process offered a Palestinian state, but required compromising with the Isrealis.
Hamas rejected the two-state sollution and peace and instead promoted the idea of "resistance" and the coralary of killing Jews. Arafat's legacy was also one of resistance. Thus there was much sympathy for this within Fatah. Many within Fatah assumed that they could join with Hamas to kill Jews under the banner of resistance. But just as Fatah justified killing Jews, Hamas now justified killing Fatah fifgters. And Hamad gunmen not only have the Palestinian cause to justify their actions, but they have the blessing of Allah. So justified, there is little they atre not capable of which the Fatah gunmen are now finding out. As one Isreali observer explains, "Hamas has made Fatah gunmen honorary Jews."
It is interesting to note that Israel supplies electricity, fuel and water to Gaza. Essentially the radio stations that broadcast the calls for jihas and killing Jews and now "Fatah traitors" are powered from the Israeli electrical system. The gasoline for the trucks transporting Qassam launchers is refined and supplied by Israel.
Since the Hamas electoral victory (January 2006), violence has intensified between Fatah and Hamas militias. The fighting escalated in 2007. This has become known as Fauda (anarchy). Many Palestinians have been killed in the internecine fighting.
Fighting in Gaza escated at the end ogf May and early June. Hamas gunmen invaded hospitals, killedg doctors and threw people off the tops of buildings. After several days of intensive fighting, Hamas seized control of most of Gaza (June 13, 2007). A press report indicated, "Hamas forces consolidated control over much of Gaza on Wednesday, taking command of the main north-south road and blowing up a Fatah headquarters in Khan Yunis, in the south. In northern Gaza and Gaza City, Hamas military men, many of them in black masks, moved unchallenged through the streets as Fatah fighters ran short of arms and ammunition and abandoned their posts. Hamas controlled all of Gaza City except for the presidential compound of Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and the Suraya headquarters of the National Security Forces, the Palestinian army. Hamas has surrounded Al Suraya, calling on the occupants to surrender." [Erlanger] Fatah fighters were disarrmed and many shot in the streets. "They are executing them one by one," according to a Fatah official who charged that seven of their fighters were shot dead in the street outside Preventive Security building. A witness, Jihad Abu Ayad, said the men were being killed before their wives and children. "They are executing them one by one," Abu Ayad said. They are carrying one of them on their shoulders, putting him on a sand dune, turning him around and shooting." Another observer writes, ""Over one hundred Palestinians were killed and hundreds maimed in virulent confrontations between Hamas and Fatah," said Sr. Ruth Lautt. "People were thrown off rooftops. Children witnessed the slaughter of their parents. Corpses were dragged triumphantly through refugee camps. Although Fatah and Hamas leaders and members of the security forces were the primary targets, many civilians were caught in the crossfire and relatives of Fatah and Hamas operatives were deliberately killed in mutual assassination attempts." [Lautt]
What appears to be happening is that Hamas has decided to destroy Fatah.
Fatah fighters had bought into the culture of violence promoted by their founder and mentor Yassir Arafat. Fatah fighters were firmly convinced that the righteouness of their cause not only compelled them to kill Jews (civilians as well as military), but fully justified any attack against Israel and Jews. What they did not understand that this kind of logic could be used by other Palestinians who disagreed with them. And this appears to be what has happened in Gaza. A frantic Fatah fighter telephoned into a Gaza radio station before he was captured and executed by Hamas fighters, "
Hamas has stormed the home of Jamal Abu Jideyan, general secretary of Fatah in Northern Gaza and an Al Aqsa Brigades commander, and assassinated him. About 20 minutes ago we were listening to Sawt Al Hurriya, a Palestinian radio station, as Jideyan’s brother called into the station frantic. Hamas militants had surrounded the family’s home in the Jabbaliya refugee camp and had fired 16 RPG rounds at the home, with 35 family members inside, he said. “They’re firing at us, firing RPGs, firing mortars. We’re not Jews!” He was screaming into the telephone as gun fire could be clearly heard in the background. Note the phrase, "We're not Jews!" To this Fatah gun man, actions like this were not morally objectinable. It just should not happen to him. It was the Jews that should meet this fate. Palestinians like this fighter did not understand where the culture of violemce, of which he was apart, would lead.
Media in the West are failing to grasp what is at play here. PBS in America has been are portraying Hamas as "moderate", The BBC is predictably blaming it all on Israel. Thelogic is that evil Zionists have driven the Palestiniabns to these desperate acts. What many in the West fail to understand is the mibdset of Hamas. Essentially the Palestinian cause and Islam preclude any compromise with Israel and justify not only any act of resistance, but any act of violence against anyone who differs with them. The obvious target is Israel and Jews in general, but the Gaza coup shows that even Muslim, both Fatah fighters and civikians, who stand in their way are fair game.
Islam Shahawan, a spokesman for Hamas' militia, has explained where Hamas is headed. Broadcasting on Hamas radio, he explains, "We are telling our people that the past era has ended and will not return. The era of justice and Islamic rule has arrived."
The violence in Gaza may look like anarchy, but there is reason to believe that the coup was a carefully planned out coup against Fatah. The timing certainly suggests this. Fatah forces leader Mahmoud Dahlan was not in Gaza. He was undergoing medical treatment. Hamas claims that their action was carried out in self defense when Fatah fired a RPG at the house of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Hanniyeh. Of course stray violence in Gaza is aways apossibility, but with Dahlan away, it is obvious Fatah was not launching an major attack on Hamas. And the execution of the Hamas offensive in Gaza suggests that it was carefully prepared. It is quite possible that the RPG attack was a manufactured provocation.
It is know that both Syria and Iran have been supporting Hamas. Whether they orchestrated the Gaza coup is unknown. It is clear that both are opposed to a two state sollution in Palestine. Syria has never shown an interest in an independent Palestinian state and would like to acqyuire Palestine or part of it as southern Syria. Iran does not want to seize a securalt Palestinian state that would make peace with Israel. The history of the conflict shows that the Arab states from the beginning in 1948 were not interested in an independent Palestinian state. [Rogan and Shlaim]
Mahmoud Abbas has responded by dissolving the Palestinian government and the coalition government with Hamas. He has called for new elections. Gaza and the West Bank are now two separate entities. It is not clear if the fighting will spread to the West Bank. Fatah is stronger in the West Bank than it was in Gaza. Abbas had pledgeded that Fatah's weapons would never be turned on other Palestinians. He too apparently believed that Hamas would not attack Fatah. Hamas succeeded in Gaza, in part because Abas did not give orders for Fatah to fight until it was to late. It is unlikely that Hamas can win so easily in the West Bank, but it remains to be see what will happen there.
Erlanger, Steven. "Hamas seizes broad control in Gaza" International Herald Tribune (June 14, 2007).
Lautt, Sr Ruth, OP, National Director, Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East, June 19, 2007.
Rogan and Shlaim. The War for Palestine.
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