(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff - Tensions have appeared in Hamas' power structure between the Gaza-based group and the Damascus-based leadership. The head of the Hamas politburo, Damascus-based Khaled Meshal, recently appointed his deputy, Musa Abu Marzuk, to a post akin to Hamas defense minister. Palestinian sources say the head of Hamas' military wing in Gaza, Ahmed Ja'abari, refuses to take orders from Abu Marzuk. Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior member of the group in Gaza, recently resigned from the negotiating team in the deal for abducted soldier Gilad Shalit. It is believed he opposed the tough stance of the Damascus-based leadership in the negotiations and its unwillingness to sign a reconciliation deal with Fatah. In both cases Zahar adopted a more pragmatic stance than Meshal, siding more with the Egyptian position.
2010-03-12 09:18:34Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive