Hamas 'tightening grip' on Gaza

[Salem6]

Heavy fighting is continuing between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in Gaza, with reports Hamas now controls almost the whole Gaza Strip.


Hamas has made gains in the north and south of the Gaza strip

It comes despite the two sides saying they had agreed to a truce to end days of fighting which has killed 80 people.

But Hamas's military wing says it has so far received no orders to put down its guns.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, of Fatah, is to make a statement on the future of the unity government.

Sources close to Mr Abbas told the BBC he is deciding whether to change the Palestinian cabinet or dismiss it altogether, thereby ending the three-month-old unity government that was meant to stop the violence.

Gun battles

Hamas militants are now targeting Fatah's security and political command centres in Gaza City, following a series of battles on Wednesday in which Hamas made important gains in the north and south.





There has been fierce fighting around the headquarters of the internal security agency in Gaza, with Hamas firing dozens of rocket-propelled grenades.

Another key security headquarters, the National Security building, also came under a barrage of mortar shells overnight.

In other parts of the Gaza Strip, Fatah forces blew up key positions rather than surrender them, according to AP news agency.

Hamas has issued an ultimatum to Fatah militants in Gaza to lay down their weapons by 1600 GMT on Friday or risk having them taken from them.

Truce conditions

At least 17 people were reported killed in fighting on Wednesday, with 80 reported to have died since Saturday.

Mr Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, of Hamas, issued a statement on Wednesday, calling on all sides to halt the fighting.

A senior Fatah official told the BBC that it had agreed to a list of conditions from Hamas for a truce, including appointing an interior minister responsible for all Palestinian security forces, and shared control of Gaza's boundaries and borders.

Fatah said it had accepted the conditions in principle, but that more dialogue between the two sides was needed.

A truce agreed on Monday was quickly broken and fighting escalated across northern Gaza.

Fatah and Hamas agreed a unity government in March to bring an end to factional strife and Western sanctions, but it has not stopped the rivalry.

Analysts say that if the fighting is not checked, Palestinians could be split into a Fatah-controlled West Bank and Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The international community has called for a ceasefire, and Arab League head Amr Moussa said the fighting was destroying the Palestinian cause.



news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6751079.stm

[Salem6]

Two parties dominate Palestinian politics: Fatah which has been at the head of the Palestinian national movement since the 1950s, and the Islamist movement, Hamas, which won the parliamentary elections in January 2006.

FATAH



Full name: Reverse acronym of Harakat al-Tahrir al-Filistiniya (Palestinian Liberation Movement) meaning "conquest" in Arabic.

Origins and development: Founded by Yasser Arafat in the 1950s to promote the armed struggle to liberate all Palestine from Israeli control.

It developed into the largest Palestinian political faction and, after recognising Israel's right to exist, led efforts towards a two-state solution with Israel under the 1990s Oslo peace accords.

Fatah members formed the backbone of the Oslo-inspired administration, the Palestinian Authority (PA), especially its bureaucrats and security forces.

The party lost power in the 2006 parliamentary elections to Hamas, after Fatah officials came to be perceived as corrupt and incompetent. The shift in power heralded a period of violence on the streets of Gaza.

Attitude to Israel: PA President Mahmoud Abbas advocates restarting the peace process and is strong critic of armed "resistance" and attacks on Israeli civilians. His goal is to establish a Palestinian state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as capital.

The Fatah-affiliated al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has participated, along with Hamas, in an informal militant ceasefire since 2005, but conducts what it calls retaliatory attacks against Israel.

Current status: The 2006 election defeat put Fatah on the defensive and subsequent events raised fears it would try using its political influence and military power to maintain predominance. The PA's 70,000 police and security forces are mainly Fatah loyalists.

After months of factional street fighting in which hundreds of Palestinians were killed, Fatah struck a deal with Hamas to join a unity government as a junior partner.


HAMAS



Full name: Acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement) and means "zeal" in Arabic.

Origins and development: Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, committed to establishing an Islamic state in the whole of what it terms Palestine (post-1948 Israel, the West Bank and Gaza).

Since its formation 1987 it has pursued a dual function: social welfare and what it calls armed resistance. This earned respect and gratitude among Palestinians suffering under Israeli occupation, but a string of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians meant it was designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and the European Union.

Its 2006 landslide win thrust on Hamas the responsibility of power and international scrutiny for the first time, but the government was not recognised by Israel or the main international mediators.

Attitude to Israel: Hamas's charter uncompromisingly seeks Israel's destruction. However, Hamas's Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian prime minister, has spoken of a long-term truce with Israel if Israel withdraws from territory occupied in 1967.

The Hamas armed wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam brigades, has participated in an informal ceasefire since 2005, but claims the right to retaliate against what it calls Israeli attacks.

Current status: Designated a terrorist group by PA donors, outside funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority have dried up. Banks refuse to handle emergency donations fearing US penalties. Hamas faces financial meltdown of the PA which could cause a major humanitarian crisis.

Separately, it has deployed a 3,000-strong shadow security force including its supporters to tackle lawlessness in Gaza. The move exacerbated tensions with pro-Fatah security agencies sparking gunfights.

After months of wrangling with Fatah, Hamas became the senior partner in a national unity government in March 2007.



news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5016012.stm

[Salem6]

Hamas militants have seized the headquarters of their rival Fatah's Preventive Security force, tightening their control over the Gaza Strip.


Hamas is reported to now control almost the entire Gaza Strip

Witnesses said Hamas had raised its flags over the compound in Gaza City, amid reports 14 Palestinians, mostly Fatah security workers, were killed.

Gun battles continued elsewhere in Gaza with Hamas targeting Fatah's security and political command centres.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was holding crisis talks with key aides.

Mr Abbas was expected to make a statement later on Thursday.

Sources close to Mr Abbas told the BBC he is deciding whether to dismantle the Palestinian cabinet, thereby ending the three-month-old unity government that was meant to stop the violence.

Gun battles

Hamas is reported to now control almost the entire Gaza Strip, following five days of intense factional fighting in which at least 80 people have been killed.





Hamas militants are targeting Fatah's security and political command centres, following a series of battles on Wednesday in which Hamas made important gains in the north and south.

Fatah denied the Preventative Security force headquarters had fallen, but witnesses said the green flags of Hamas were now flying from the building.

Hamas later demanded that Fatah abandon another key security post, the National Security complex in Gaza City, which came under a barrage of mortar shells overnight.

In other parts of the Gaza Strip, Fatah forces blew up key positions rather than surrender them, according to AP news agency.

Earlier, Hamas issued an ultimatum to Fatah militants in Gaza to lay down their weapons by 1600 GMT on Friday or risk having them taken from them.

Truce conditions

Thursday's fighting came despite a call from Mr Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, of Hamas, for all sides to halt the fighting.

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Ramallah says that after an aggressive military campaign Hamas feels it has now gained enough ground to call the political shots.

The Islamist movement has laid a series of demands on the table which it says Fatah has to agree to if there is to be peace and if the two parties are to continue to govern together.

The conditions include appointing an interior minister responsible for all Palestinian security forces and shared control of Gaza's boundaries and borders.

Mr Abbas is considering these proposals, but it is difficult to see how he or his party are in any position to argue with Hamas, our correspondent says.

Analysts say that if the fighting is not checked, Palestinians could be split into a Fatah-dominated West Bank and Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The international community has called for a ceasefire, and Arab League head Amr Moussa said the fighting was destroying the Palestinian cause.



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