Mahmoud al-Zahar. Undermining Fatah's hold in West Bank
Photo: AFP
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Legitimate regime
Photo: AFP
Poll: 69 percent of Palestinians 'pessimistic' of PA's future
With Egyptian summit in Sharem nearing, Hamas threatens bombing Fatah holds in Ramallah. Poll taken by Nablus university shows 66 percent of Palestinians in favor of international force in Gaza
Hamas will bomb Fatah in the West Bank, warned Mahmoud al-Zahar, one of Hamas most militant hardliners in an interview published in the German magazine Der Speigel.
The organization, he added would keep "looking for Israeli spies" in Gaza.
Hamas, he said, will try to undermine Fatah's hold in the West Bank by attacking them with the same means used on Israel – rockets and other violent attacks.
Gaza Clashes
Ali Waked
PA president dismisses Prime Minister Haniyeh, declares state of emergency in Gaza following continued infighting, rising death toll. Meanwhile, Hamas' bloody takeover of Strip near complete, Fatah officials on the run
Meanwhile, a senior Hamas member warned Saturday that his group would treat any international forces sent to the Strip as enemy troops, and vowed to fight them.
Hamas representative in the Palestinian legislative committee, Yehia Musa, said he was "surprised that President (Mahmoud) Abbas would consider bringing in such forces, given their failure in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The current situation in Gaza, stressed Musa, is due to the Palestinian president's refusal to implement measures agreed upon in past Fatah-Hamas negotiations.
Poll: Most say Hamas takeover a 'coup'
Meanwhile, with the Egyptian summit in Sharem el-Sheik nearing, the Palestinian people seem to disagree with Musa's frame of mind.
A poll taken by Al-Najah National University in Nablus shows 66 percent of the Palestinian people want an international force to be stationed in Gaza.
Some 67 percent think outside – international – interference, is the reason for Fatah-Hamas clashes erupting in the first place.
Over 70 percent of Palestinians supported President Abbas' decision to dissolve the unity government and declare a state of emergency in Gaza, 78 percent perceive Hamas' actions a coup and 55 percent don't believe in Abbas' ability to regain control of the Strip.
Forty-two percent of the poll's participants see Abbas' government in Ramallah as the legitimate regime, while 21.6 percent see former Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's government in Gaza as the legitimate regime.
For 30 percent of those asked, neither is the legitimate regime. Seventy percent support moving the presidential and general elections up.
Should general elections be held soon, Hamas is expected to fall from power, receiving only 12 percent of the votes. Fatah is expected to get 35 percent of the votes.
Sixty-nine of the poll's participants said they were pessimistic about the Palestinian Authority's future.
