by Dr. Reuven Berko
In light of al-Habash's speech, Hamas believes that the PA will continue its attempts to forcibly regain power in Gaza. There are rumors flying about that Mohammed Dahlan, aided by Egypt, is organizing forces in Sinai to move against Hamas.
Former Palestinian
Authority Religious Affairs Minister Sheikh Mahmoud al-Habash is serving
as adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas on matters of religion and
Islam. Last March, al-Habash issued a call to Arab nations from the
Muqataa in Ramallah to attack Hamas as they were attacking the Houthis
[in Yemen], arguing that Hamas had also rebelled against the PA's legal
government.
At the beginning of
June, senior Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil accused the PA of reducing
the funds it budgeted to the Gaza Strip and stealing the money to stir
up popular sentiment against Hamas and push it out of power. A few days
ago, a spokesman from Hamas' Interior Ministry reported that a
representative of the PA had been caught in Gaza in possession of a
booby-trapped car and admitted that he had been sent by al-Habash and
Maj. Gen. Sami Nasman of the PA intelligence apparatus to detonate the
car in Shujaiyya, targeting Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.
In light of al-Habash's
speech, Hamas believes that the PA will continue its attempts to
forcibly regain power in Gaza. There are rumors flying about that
Mohammed Dahlan, aided by Egypt, is organizing forces in Sinai to move
against Hamas. Palestinian sources claim that even before the
"reconciliation" failed, Hamas had dug a terror tunnel beneath Abbas'
presidential residence in Gaza and prepared an ambush for him. Recently,
the homes of people with ties to the Fatah movement in Gaza were blown
up in mysterious circumstances. Back in 2006, senior PA officials were
shot in Gaza and their bodies were thrown from the roofs, and since then
Abbas and his people haven't dared to enter the Strip.
Egypt eliminating
Hamas' smuggling tunnels has caused the group to lose revenue. Given the
heavy taxation in the Strip and at the border crossings and the
widespread destruction and hunger, the organization is losing its
reputation for fighting corruption. The disaster Hamas brought down on
Gaza during Operation Protective Edge has resulted in a sense of a
humanitarian crisis among the population and a collapse of morale. The
collective despair, the Egyptian stranglehold, and the PA's budgetary
sanctions have caused Hamas' will to fight to crumble. This change has
lead to a willingness to listen to international players and messages of
a "hudna" [truce] with Israel, but sparked criticism from bloodthirsty
Salafist groups.
In a series of threats
and shooting attacks using heavy arms fire against the homes and
vehicles of senior Hamas officials in Gaza, the Islamic State group is
condemning the Hamas' monopoly on power, calling it "tahiyat," or an
"evil regime." This code word, from the lexicon of Islamist thinker Ibn
Taymiyyah, grants legitimacy to war on any Islamic regime defined as
"exploitative." The rocket fire on Israel was intended to draw it into
serving IS in Gaza by striking against Hamas.
In response, Hamas has
demolished a mosque belonging to the movement, confiscated various
materials, arrested dozens of senior IS officials and assassinated
Sheikh Abdel Latif Moussa, a senior figure in the group.
This was a hard-core
group based on long-standing Salafist movements that in the past worked
with Hamas against Israel and Egypt. Islamic State in Gaza is in
possession of some missiles it stole from Hamas and is getting help from
volunteers, as well as donations, and manufacturing its own weapons.
Dr. Reuven Berko
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=12867
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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