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Fatah Focusing Attacks on Settlers

(Jerusalem Post) David Rudge - The attacks in Ariel and Hermesh appear to mark the beginning of a trend to focus terrorist activities on settlers, says Dr. Hillel Frisch, a senior researcher at Bar-Ilan University's Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. According to Frisch: The new Palestinian interior minister, veteran Fatah official Hani al-Hassan, has been against homicide bombings in Israel, although he has made clear that settlers in the territories and their communities are legitimate targets. Fatah and Hamas were reverting to their traditional "division of labor," with Fatah carrying out shootings against settlers and Hamas operating inside the green line. After the death of Raed Karmi, commander of the Aksa Martyrs Brigades in the Tulkarm region, in January this year, Fatah had changed its tactics, making more use of homicide bombers inside the green line, particularly from February to April. More recently, the alliance with Hamas has broken down following Hamas's challenge of the PA's authority with the killing of Col. Rajeh Abu Lihyeh, commander of the riot police in the Gaza Strip. This is quite a serious situation because Hamas came out the winner in Gaza and is challenging Arafat. In light of Fatah's competition with Hamas, we are going to see many more attempts by Fatah to carry out attacks against settlers and settlements.
2002-10-31 00:00:00
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