| Hmmm. So Gaza has a new Fatah head bully. D'ya think Hamas will let him fester, like we did with Tater, or d'ya think Meshaal will have this boil lanced? |
Hamas' prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, appealed for calm Saturday and pledged to remove rogue gunmen from the streets of Gaza.
But Masharawi, one of the most powerful figures in Gaza, rejected the call. Returning to Gaza from Egypt in a heavily armed convoy, Masharawi told reporters that he was offended by the "baseless" allegations against security forces and Fatah leaders and he would not be able to persuade his followers to hide their arms. "It seems that the brothers in Hamas forget that they are in power and represent a Palestinian government and are responsible for defending security institutions," he said. As he spoke, dozens of bodyguards fired repeatedly in the air.Israeli counterterrorism expert Boaz Ganor said Hamas is in a "Catch-22" situation, wanting to gain international legitimacy while not yet willing to abandon its violent ideology. "They are trying to hold the stick from both ends," he said. "Maybe they can stop their own fire, but they can't speak out against others."