Let’s see if I’ve got my chronology right here:
On January 29, Hamas and Fatah announced a ceasefire prompted, I think by a reminder from their compatriots that their real job is to kill Jews.
On February 1, Hamas gunman ambushed Fatah trucks, killing 6 people, injuring 70, and kidnapping 15 people. A Fatah spokesman seemed concerned that this little fracas might be seen as “plunging a 3-day-old ceasefire into grave danger.”
On February 2 (that would be today), Hamas and Fatah engaged in “some of the worst fighting between Palestinian factions so far” in Gaza. The numbers involved are impressive and, as always, children get caught in the crossfire, such being the nature of war, especially Civil War:
At least 15 people were killed, including a 7-year-old boy, bringing the total for the past two days to 21. Nearly 200 more Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been hurt over the same period, as fierce shootouts erupted in Gaza City and the northern parts of the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian hospitals.
Give themselves time to regroup and rearm, the combatants announced yet another ceasefire:
Hamas and Fatah leaders met at the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Gaza City this afternoon and agreed in principle to halt the violence. “We, the leaders of the two groups, agreed, with God’s help, on a cease-fire,” Nizar Rayan, a senior Hamas leader, said as he emerged from the discussions.
Strangely, savvy observers are not sanguine that this ceasefire will have any sticking power:
But it was not clear whether the agreement would take hold. Previous cease-fires have been short-lived: A truce announced early Tuesday brought relative calm for two days, but the fighting erupted again on Thursday.
When Israel withdrew from Gaza, I said that would be a good thing because the Palestinians would now have to meet Israel as a nation among nations, with all the consequences that go with that nation status. At the time, I envisioned a traditional war between Israel and Palestine. It never occurred to me that the Palestinians would keep themselves occupied in the first instance by fighting each other. I’m sure we’ll be hearing soon from Al-Jazeera that the Civil War is actually an Israeli conspiracy to deflect the beleaguered Palestinians’ attention from the true enemy.
UPDATE: I’m in good company because Charles Johnson also calls what’s happening in Gaza a Civil War and notes the MSM’s refusal to identify it as such. As I’ve noticed in previously posts, I’m sure this silence is because neither Israel nor the United States can be blamed for the Civil War, making the phrase lack resonance for the MSM types.
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Strangely, savvy observers are not sanguine that this ceasefire will have any sticking power:
Wow, Book. Shockingly surprising.
It never occurred to me that the Palestinians would keep themselves occupied in the first instance by fighting each other.
A little schadenfreude is appropriate here.
I see two old tricks here. The trick of a “cease fire” in order to gear up for the next phase of the war. Combined with destabilizing your enemy by getting your enemy to fight themselves, within themselves.
While I didn’t envision a traditional war between Hamas (or whatever) vs Israel, but I did envision that Hamas now had to fight a far more open war instead of the shadowry war they used to fight.
This of course, seemed to upset Fatah in a way. I guess their desire for power, and what not, overwhelmed their desire to kill Jews. Or maybe the fence frustrated their attempts to kill Jews, so they had to grab the best target left over. Which would be, other Palestinians.
Hamas now has legitimacy, and it seems they also have the problems of legitimacy. Before, when they were just a rag tag group, I suppose nothing happened. But when they started going into politics and what not… I guess that really upset Fatah and a power struggle began. You got to watch out for the power plays, these people love their power. More than they love their children, that is for sure.
Hamas and Fatah should remake themselves . . kind of like born again, or a psychriatric makeover, into lets say, FAHATHMASA(kool name) ,and start afresh. But hey, try being nice guys. Now ,let me see, what could Israel do ? They could combine with USA into LISUREARS(not so kool name . . kinda of geeky ) and try being nice guys as well. I will set up the first summit meeting with FAHATHMASA and LISUREARS.
What a dog’s breakfast mess for children living ( if you can call it that ) through this crap.
PUT A LITTLE ANDY KIM LOVE IN YOUR HEART PEOPLE. Children deserve better .
Hey Olive Grove…a few simple sentences along with a link would have been sufficient. Now I just see you and Atlas Books as an annoyance.
But…I’m just one.
You’re right, Kurt. The comment to which you responded was just spam, so I deleted it.
Actually, I hear it IS the fault of Israel and America! Who knew?
http://abuyussif.blogspot.com/2007/02/another-gaza-truce-victim.html