Palestinian policemen loyal to Hamas take part in a training exercise in Gaza June 14, 2008.(Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
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by Saud Abu Ramadan
GAZA, July 28 (Chinese media) -- The current face-off
between rival Fatah and Hamas movements in a verbal war and in an exchange of
crackdown on each other in Gaza and the West Bank, has caused frustration and
despair among the Palestinian people, mainly in the destitute Gaza Strip.
Following the recent factional dispute, Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah and Islamic Hamas movement are getting into an
endless feud that weakens the texture of Palestinian society, analysts said.
Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip since last
summer following a week-long infighting between Hamas and Fatah-dominated
security force loyal to Abbas. He, in return, sacked the Hamas unity government
and formed a Western-backed cabinet ruling the West Bank.
Whenever disputes and differences mount, security
forces of one group cracks down on members of the other in its own domain.
On Friday, a bomb attack on a Hamas militants' car on
Gaza beachside in western Gaza City, which killed five Hamas militants and a
child, brought the conflict back as Hamas directly accused Fatah of being behind
the attack.
Although Fatah movement denied responsibility for the
attack, Hamas security apparatuses and its armed wing, better known as al-Qassam
Brigades, took advantage of the bloodshed to strongly crackdown on Fatah
movement basically weak and disable to resist Hamas in Gaza.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said
in a statement that Hamas forces detained more than 160 Fatah members, and
stormed dozens of social charities and institutions that belong to Fatah.
In response, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)
security forces were ordered to detain around 100 people in the West Bank within
the past two days in a new crackdown on Hamas.
Besides the escalation of actions against each other,
leaders of Fatah and Hamas are trading accusations that each side is not
interested in launching national dialogue to end the internal conflict and
political division between geographically-divided Gaza and the West Bank.
Senior Fatah leader in Gaza Ibrahim Abu al-Najja
called on Hamas to accept the idea of forming an unbiased panel to investigate
the bombing on the Hamas car.
He said if an investigation committee was formed,
Fatah movement would fully cooperate with Hamas to find out the truth, adding
that the best way to get out of the current crisis is to get back immediately to
the table of national dialogue.
However, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said his
movement rejects the formation of an investigation committee, adding that Hamas
knows who is behind the attack and would carry out proper actions to prevent
future attacks.
In Cairo, Abbas on Sunday condemned the bomb attack
in Gaza and called on all Palestinian factions to launch a comprehensive
dialogue based on Arab initiatives for reconciliation.
"Instead of welcoming President Abbas calls for the
resumption of dialogue, Hamas movement rejected it. This is a proof that Hamas
is not interested in any dialogue and just wanted to establish a police regime
and an Islamic Emirate," said Reyad al-Malki, Information Minister in the
Palestinian government based in Ramallah.
In Gaza, Taher al-Noono, spokesman of the deposed
Hamas government, slammed the Palestinian government of Salam Fayyad in the West
Bank for the arrests of Hamas members in the West Bank.
Palestinian analysts believe the status quo of
trading accusations and arrests against each other would last as long as the two
sides do not realize that it will do good for them to bring an end to the
crisis.
"I believe that the only best way to get out of this
status, which is going to destroy the structure of the Palestinian society, is
that Egypt has to hurry up in inviting the leaders of the factions, mainly Fatah
and Hamas, to Cairo for dialogue," said Hani Habib, a Palestinian political
analyst.
After talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in
Cairo on Sunday, Abbas said he is in favor of relaunching internal dialogue
under the auspices of Egypt, adding Egypt will send out invitations Monday to
all Palestinian factions to take part in the reconciliation talks to be held in
Cairo.
Special report:
Palestine-Israel
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