Fatah May Pull out of Government

[Christina]

Whoa! this would put Hamas in control of Palastiian Government they want Israel gone refuse to talk peace and are backed by Syria ...................................................................... Fatah to Abbas: Order us to fight to the 'last drop of blood'THE JERUSALEM POST Jun. 14, 2007 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was expected to make a "dramatic statement" Thursday morning, which may include the announcement that Fatah will pull out of the Palestinian Authority unity government, Palestinian sources were quoted by Israel Radio as saying. The announcement would effectively put an end to a power sharing deal that withstood intermittent clashes between the factions since its signing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in March. On Thursday morning, Fatah members called on Abbas to order a move from defense to offense, "even at the price of thousands of dead Palestinians," to avoid losing the Gaza Strip to Hamas. Background: Where is Muhammad Dahlan?Analysis: Egypt's difficult task in GazaAnalysis: Hamas win could be opportunity for Israel At least 35 Palestinians were killed in fierce battles Wednesday. Violence continued ceaselessly throughout the night, and while Fatah officials insisted that their men to "fight to their last drop of blood," fighters holed in the Preventative Security building said they were running out of ammunition and could not resist Hamas's gunmen much longer. The call to Abbas Thursday morning came after Fatah officials urged Abbas to resign Wednesday night. Fatah members have grown increasingly angry at what they termed Abbas's failure to order a strong counter-attack to Hamas and a lack of clear-cut orders. During the fighting, retreating Fatah forces tried to prevent further Hamas entrenchment by blowing up their abandoned positions in central Gaza. However, Hamas said it had seized from Fatah thousands of M-16 and Kalashnikov rifles and pistols, communication equipment, armored vehicles, trucks, binoculars, military outfits, tents, sleeping bags, hand grenades, mortars and documents . Hamas gunmen were seen driving some of the confiscated vehicles that have been decorated with Hamas flags and signs. Pictures of the weapons were posted on a number of Hamas-linked Web sites. "Most of the weapons came from Egypt and Jordan over the past few years," a senior Fatah official told The Jerusalem Post. "They did not come directly from the US, although the Americans had initiated the supply of weapons and ammunition." By Thursday, Hamas had all but overtaken the Gaza Strip, but several key locations, including the buildings of Preventative Security and the presidential complex were, with the Gaza seaport and crossing points in and out of the strip were the only remaining strongholds of Fatah in the strip. Concurrently, hundreds of Fatah men asked Israel to help them flee the Gaza Strip through Gaza seaport, one of the last locations in the strip still held by Fatah, for fear they would be executed by Hamas gunmen if they would remain in Gaza. According to Israel Radio, Egypt was busy preparing plans to absorb thousands of Palestinians attempting to flee the clashes in Gaza. In addition, UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon said he raised in the UN General Council the possibility of sending multi-national forces to the Gaza Strip. Abbas asked Ban to send more UN troops, and added that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was also positive on the idea. EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana echoed Ban's statement, saying on Wednesday that the EU might be obliged to intervene in the Gaza fray. In Israel, defense officials said talking with Hamas might become unavoidable, as closing all crossings from the Gaza Strip into Israel to avoid intra-Palestinian violence leaking into Israel would soon cause an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Israeli sources were quoted as saying that following the developments in the strip, Israel was now viewing the Gaza Strip as a "separate enemy state."

 

[Christina]

Palistian Fatah Government Compound Held by HamasThey are running out of food, water and ammunition. Hamas and its Executive Force have overrun some 80 percent of the Gaza Strip, while loyalists of Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah, including complete clans, are surrendering and turning in their weapons. Hamas has set up large prisoner camps, some in the rubble of the Gush Katif villages. Wednesday afternoon, a desperate Abbas appealed to Israel to permit more arms and ammunition to be transferred from the West Bank. Israeli officers said it was too late. Fatah is a lost case and any arms crossing into Gaza now will be seized at once by Hamas.Fatah had previously received guns and ammunitions from Israel and U.S.