Eight killed as rival Hamas and Fatah forces clash in Gaza

PALESTINE: As US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice began a tour of Middle Eastern capitals in a bid to strengthen Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and sideline Hamas, the two sides' forces clashed across the Gaza Strip yesterday.

Eight people were killed and at least 100 injured in the biggest outbreak of internal fighting in months over unpaid wages and stalled unity talks.

Palestinian prime minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called on Palestinians to stop the violence. President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah said he would not allow it to escalate into a civil war and vowed to punish those responsible.

Last week Hamas accused Mr Abbas of withholding funds donated by Arab governments to pay wages in order to turn the populace against Hamas. Gunmen in Gaza and the West Bank, loyal to either Hamas or Fatah, set ablaze government offices and stormed hospitals, schools and other buildings and destroyed or removed office equipment.

Ms Rice, who set off on her tour last night, seeks to revive talks between Mr Abbas and Israel, bolster his security forces, and channel relief funds through him to impoverished Palestinians. Her mission could finish off talks on the formation of a national unity coalition between Hamas and Fatah which was stalled after Mr Abbas said such a government would recognise Israel. Although Hamas remains committed, Fatah hopes Hamas can be excluded and is not interested in negotiating.

Hamas refuses to follow the example of the Fatah-controlled Palestine Liberation Organisation for two reasons. Although it took PLO chairman Yasser Arafat 33 years to persuade Palestinians to recognise Israel within 78 per cent of geographic Palestine, his gamble did not pay off.

Israel continued confiscating land and building settlements in the 22 per cent Palestinians demand for their state. Israel placed Palestinian population centres under siege, denied freedom of movement of people and goods, imprisoned and assassinated Palestinians, and deported those possessing foreign passports.

Palestinian affairs analyst for the Israeli daily Haaretz, Danny Rubinstein, wrote: "You Palestinians have recognised Israel and what you received was liquidation of your national hopes." He asked: "So why should Hamas repeat the same recognition whose results we have already seen?"

Hamas also rejects recognition of Israel for religious reasons. Hamas's charter, adopted in 1988, says that "the land of Palestine has been an Islamic Waqf [ trust] throughout the generations . . . and no one can renounce it or part of it". Hamas regards nationalism as part of religious belief and the struggle for Palestine as a religious duty. It dismisses foreign mediation on the grounds that non-Muslims cannot provide justice to Muslims. If Hamas was to formally recognise Israel, it would have to abrogate its charter, end its armed struggle, and eliminate its own raison d'etre. Most Palestinians do not want Hamas to extend recognition.

The prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, put forward a compromise formula involving a halt to Hamas's armed struggle for 10 years, acceptance of a West Bank-Gaza state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and commitment to agreements made by the PLO if they serve Palestinian interests. He believed Hamas and Fatah had reached a deal before Mr Abbas spoke about recognition by a unity government.

Three other possibilities are being discussed. The first is the formation of a government of technocrats, but neither Hamas nor Fatah want to be out of power. The second is dissolution of the Hamas-controlled legislature and the establishment of an emergency government, but this could precipitate conflict between Hamas and Fatah. The third is the Rice proposal for boosting Mr Abbas on the political, economic and security fronts while marginalising Hamas, which has been unable to govern or implement reforms due to lack of funds.

While this could lead to a new Fatah cabinet, it is unlikely to do a better job than the government ousted by Hamas.