June 07, 2007
Palestinians Look To Israel To End Civil Strife
In the impoverished and stateless Gaza Strip, masked gunmen and suicide bombers are lionized as heroes following attacks on neighboring Israel. But the stunning victory of militant Hamas in January 2006 portended a different kind of unrest for the Palestinian people.
Hamas and Fatah politicians have been openly engaged in a power grab since then. That fight exploded onto the streets this year, in spurts of violence that have claimed dozens of lives.
Palestinians, already inured to violence, seem to be growing particularly tired of the fighting among their own. Reuters reports that Gazans are actually grateful for Israel's intervention.
"It's very ironic but I'm relieved the Israelis have started a bombing campaign. The gunmen killing each other on the streets were forced to go into hiding," one woman told the news service.
Gunmen have been acting as de facto police, ordering residents to close their shops and commandeering vehicles. Nasser Jum'a, a former leader in Fatah's militant wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, said, "Many of these groups are now a burden on society."
Today, a shaky truce brokered after a wave of intense fighting last month shattered when a member of Fatah was killed by Hamas fighters in a gun battle. Earlier this week, President Mahmoud Abbas seconded residents' sentiments when he said life in Gaza was now worse than it was under Israeli military occupation.
AP reports that Israel is considering a request by Abbas' Fatah security forces to bring in weapons and artillery to help combat Hamas fighters. Hamas' military wing is considered a terrorist organization by much of the Western world, including the United States.
Still, Israel-Palestinian relations remain shaky. Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert canceled what would have been their first meeting in months today in a dispute over financial matters. But both leaders are expected to attend a meeting of the Quartet later this month, AFX reports.
Posted at 3:37 PM
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Israel, Middle East, Palestinians
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