[Ha'aretz] Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff - The Hamas gunmen who sought to disperse the crowd at the rally Monday in Gaza did not use rubber-coated bullets or tear gas; they simply opened fire on the crowd. The recent violence is expected to reduce Hamas' status further on the Palestinian street, as people in Gaza see Hamas using its terror tactics against its own people. Al Jazeera, not known for its support of Fatah, estimated that 200,000 demonstrators were present. This is an important sign of the frustration in Gaza with the Hamas regime. A recent Palestinian poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center revealed that Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is still the second-most popular leader in the territories, after Mahmoud Abbas. However, Haniyeh is almost completely uninvolved in decision-making now. Israeli intelligence sources say Ahmed Ja'abari, who leads the Hamas military wing, is the real man in charge in Gaza now.
2007-11-13 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive