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Fatah, Israel Target Hamas in West Bank

[Ha'aretz] Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff - Palestinian security personnel loyal to Abbas have put up dozens of roadblocks throughout Ramallah in recent days. Their orders: arrest Hamas activists. The outpouring of energy by the security organizations affiliated with Fatah is directly linked to concerns in the PA that Hamas is planning a series of terrorist attacks and assassinations against senior figures in the West Bank. In Israel, experts remain skeptical that any such attempt will be made, due to some serious blows Hamas has suffered in recent years, all delivered by the IDF and the Shin Bet. For the first time in years, senior PA officials and heads of the security organizations in the West Bank are speaking in different tones. The second intifada against Israel is over, they say. Now, Fatah must focus its energy against its domestic threat, Hamas. For the first time in years, the Shin Bet is making use of intelligence it receives from the PA's security organizations, information it uses against terrorists in the West Bank. However, as a Palestinian analyst explained: "The Palestinian public is not very excited about the embrace of Israel by Fayad and Abu Mazen [Abbas]. From our point of view, Israel is still the real enemy. Not Hamas." In Israel, while there is recognition that change has occurred, after so many disappointing experiences since the Oslo agreements, the extent to which Israel is willing to take risks is still very limited.
2007-07-27 01:00:00
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