(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh - This weekend's celebrations by Palestinians in Gaza over the disengagement are a clear sign that there is more than one authority in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, the paramilitary marches by masked Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunmen, brandishing all kinds of weapons, show that the PA security forces are not the only ones patrolling the streets. Hamas is now seeking to take credit for the "victory" by holding separate celebrations and sending its gunmen to street rallies. Top PA officials said on Saturday that Hamas's show of force over the weekend had seriously embarrassed Abbas. Islamic Jihad also surprised the PA on Friday by putting hundreds of its gunmen on display in the streets of the northern Gaza Strip. On top of all this, Abbas also has to worry about several unruly Fatah militias in Gaza.
2005-08-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive