Palestinian Authority and Fatah Threaten Hamas With Attacks

This is wonderful stuff! There isn't much better in this world than to see a situation where Fatah and Hamas forces in Gaza and the West Bank meet head to head in a blood bath. The only thing better would be to see the battles end with no winner because EVERY SINGLE JIHADIST on both sides was dead. This is a significant and bold statement by Fatah and apparently it really ruffled Hamas' feathers. Here's the details of the threat and reaction from Middle East Times:

Palestinian General Dhiab al-Ali, who heads the Palestinian Authority's (PA) military forces in the West Bank, has threatened to use force against Hamas in Gaza to unite the West Bank and Gaza Strip if efforts at reconciliation fail, turning up the heat in the ongoing Fatah-Hamas tensions. "The PA must be ready to use force to unify the homeland," al-Ali told the Israeli daily Haaretz last weekend.

"Hamas is not willing to return to the situation that existed before June 14, 2007, when the movement seized control of Gaza," Hamas leader and ousted Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh added on Sunday, responding to Fatah's demands to reverse the takeover.
"There will be no return to the security chaos," he told Hamas police officers. "Hamas is creating a new history."

"These statements emphasize that the 'Ramallah gang' (the PA) is not interested in dialogue; it just wants to harm the interests of the Palestinian people in favor of the Israeli-American agenda."

Now, Hamas and Fatah have warred, then kissed and made up more times than I can remember but the difference here is that Hamas is pretty much on the defensive here in this dialogue. Fatah is getting more confident and I'd say that part of that is probably coming from the civilian unrest in Gaza where conditions are so deplorable that it is impossible not to see how Hamas has fucked up their authority.

I'd say it's about time that Israeli agents did a little mock attack on Hamas that would only be described as a Fatah attack and let the games begin. Soon.

PA Threatens Military Attack on Hamas

While the Hamas takeover of Gaza is first and foremost on the PA negotiating team's mind, the secular government of President Mahmoud Abbas, or Abu Mazen as he is better known, is growing increasingly worried about Hamas gaining both strength and popularity in the West Bank, which up until now the PA has ruled autocratically and with an iron fist.
The PA's continual arrest campaigns against any political opposition in the West Bank, together with its inability to deliver any political progress in regard to Israeli settlement building, water rights, borders of a future Palestinian state, East Jerusalem, the return of refugees and security, have seen a rise in Hamas' popularity erode away at its own.
On Saturday, Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) spokesman Abu Obeida warned that the continued arrest of Hamas members by PA security forces and the Authority's increased cooperation with Israel "pushed the moment of punishment forward".
Not only is the PA afraid of more infighting in the West Bank but also the possibility of Hamas instigating attacks against PA leaders and institutions in the territory as a means of destabilizing Abbas' control there ahead of political upheaval when Abbas' term is meant to end in January 2009.
According to a PA source, Hamas leaders in Gaza and Damascus have ordered a number of cells to prepare to launch such attacks.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Hamas official Ahmed Jabri, who is believed to be deputy chief of the Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades, was behind planning the operations. Senior Palestinian fighter, and one of Israel's most wanted men, Muhammad Deif, heads the Brigades.
However, Hamas does not have the strength or military capabilities in terms of manpower to take over the West Bank at present, especially as Israel largely controls the Palestinian territory and would be sure to come to the beleaguered PA's aid in the event the Islamic group tried to overthrow Abbas and his government.
"In the West Bank, Hamas does not have an army of tens of thousands of fighters like in Gaza, but they have enough power to cause damage," said the PA official. "What we are demanding is that the Authority be given the opportunity to arm itself and train in order to minimize the potential damage Hamas may try to inflict."