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Source: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2569
Hamas' Victory: From Gaza to Mecca
[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] Mohammad Yaghi - Why did Fatah settle for a unity agreement in February that provided it far less than previous unity proposals that were rejected by Abbas? A close examination of the most recent clashes suggests that Hamas came away the winner and Fatah had to sue for peace. Fatah's forces suffered from internal divisions and rivalries among their leaderships. Unable to unite its forces under a coherent leadership, Fatah suffered greatly during the fighting after January 25. Most of the combatants killed during the fighting belonged to the Presidential Guards, the General Intelligence Service, or the Preventive Security organization. Hamas forces succeeded in capturing and in some cases destroying several of the local headquarters of these organizations, in some cases killing commanders in addition to ordinary soldiers. The intervention of Saudi King Abdullah came at an opportune moment that surely prevented additional Fatah losses on the ground.