Violence takes Gaza to the brink

Whether turmoil or calm reigns in the streets of Gaza is now in the hands of Hamas's military wing as well as independent militias, say analysts. Palestinian Authority officials like Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, have little ability to control the gunmen, they say.

Gaza has been weakened by an international economic boycott of the Hamas government, while Israel has further crippled the territory by limiting passage of civilians and commercial goods at Gaza's crossings.

Azzam al-Ahmad, a Fatah leader and deputy prime minister, said he expects Abbas to declare a state of emergency to end the violence.

"We need this state of emergency," al-Ahmad told reporters in Ramallah. He also called for dismantling Hamas's Executive Force, accusing it of supporting the military wing of Hamas in its raids against pro-Abbas forces.

Independent militias fill the void

Several groups have an interest in prolonging the violence, says Mr. Khatib.

Hamas's Damascus-based political leadership claims that Abbas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization have avoided implementing a commitment under the Mecca agreement to give the Islamic militants powers within the Fatah-dominated PLO umbrella group.

Independent militias linked to prominent Gaza families have moved into the security vacuum left by the Palestinian Authority, and also profit from the continued fighting.

Meanwhile, Hamas's military wing wants to consolidate its control in Gaza, where it is militarily superior but remains wary of efforts by the US and Israel to prop up forces loyal to Abbas.

"There are many people still in the security apparatus cooperating with the Americans and the Israelis," says Ahmed Yousef, a political adviser to Prime Minister Haniyeh of Hamas. "They are benefiting from the lack of law and order and the clashes and all these things. People in our community know exactly who they are. That's why you see many people targeting specific houses."

US-backed force under attack

On Tuesday, a Hamas ambush killed at least seven members of Abbas' Presidential Guard at a commercial crossing to Israel. They were charged with guarding the crossing under a US-sponsored plan to bolster forces loyal to Abbas, who supports peace negotiations with Israel.

Analysts say the Hamas strike is a signal that the US policy of intervention is contributing to the instability in Gaza. And with Presidential Guard reinforcements scheduled to arrive in Gaza from Egypt, analysts warn that it could only fuel the fire of the internal clashes.

"It's going to be accompanied by an escalation in armed clashes," says Yossi Alpher, the coeditor of Bitterlemons.org, an online journal dedicated to analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "And it is not at all clear whether the Presidential Guard will succeed."

• Safwat al-Kahlout contributed to this report from Gaza.

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