Hamas supporters in Gaza
צילום: AFP
Arrests fuel conflict between Palestinian factions
Hamas, Fatah exchange accusations over operatives' imprisonment ahead of talks being renewed
Relations between the Palestinian factions were further strained Wednesday over arrests Hamas claims were made by Fatah in the West Bank. The accusations came just days before a scheduled renewal of negotiations between the two factions.
Hamas claims Fatah security forces have been shaving off the beards of operatives detained in West Bank prisons, and that the secular faction's conduct was endangering the dialogue.
"Respect towards our people in the West Bank is far more important than any of the issues being discussed in negotiations," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
"Whenever there is a chance to make progress, Fatah and the Palestinian Authority switch to a harsher stance against Hamas in the West Bank and arrest dozens of operatives and their families. Our leaders there are being injured by attempted targeted killings."
Barhoum was referring in part to Hamas legislator Sheikh Hamed Bitawi, who was shot and lightly injured by a Fatah operative in Nablus earlier this week. He said Hamas would take up the issue with Fatah in the next round of talks.
Senior Hamas member Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar told the Palestinian news agency, Maan, that if progress is not achieved soon in talks his organization would consider reevaluating the reign of its legislative council, which ends its term in January 2010.
In response Fatah accused Hamas of continued arrests of its operatives in Gaza and claimed that the Islamists had detained dozens of members, three of them holding senior positions.
In addition Azzam al-Ahmed, head of the Fatah bloc in the Palestinian parliament, said his movement would no longer accept Hamas' rule in Gaza and that Fatah had a number of options to deal with the hostile takeover that took place in the Strip. He added that Hamas was no longer interested in the success of negotiations.
