Thursday June 14th
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri urged the former World Bank official to turn down the new post and “not to pose himself a party to this problem”.
“The appointment of Salam Fayyad as a head of the emergency government is a coup against [Hamas’] legitimacy … We ask President Abbas to withdraw the decision in order to preserve the integrity of our people,” Abu Zuhri said.
6:02PM: Hamas has predictably rejected the appointment of Salam Fayyad as Prime Minister of the emergency palestinian
government, saying it “contradicts all palestinian laws.” Palestinian laws? Now that’s funny.
4:17PM: More dead, this time at a Hamas victory parade in Gaza.
3:32PM: That was quick: The new PM appointed by Abbas is Finance Minister Salam Fayyad.
3:30PM: PA Chairman Abbas is reportedly going to choose a new PM in the coming hours.
3:20PM: Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is calling for an end to looting of abandoned Fatah assets in Gaza and is proposing reconciliation talks with Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
2:08PM: The Israel Prison Service has placed Hamas and Fatah prisoners in separated wings in order to avoid clashes.
1:48PM: Following last night’s announcement that there will be no Islamic rule declared in Gaza, Hamas is now saying that secularism and heresy in Gaza are about to end.
12:50PM: Hamas has announced that it will free all Fatah prisoners. It has also announced that it plans to take control of Gaza’s crossing with Egypt.
12:15PM: About 100 Fatah members have reportedly fled to Egypt following Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip.
Prediction: they will be placed in “refugee camps” for the next 60 or so years, and demand repatriation to Haifa.
11:45AM: Ma’an news reports:
A Hamas activist was killed by Fatah militias, east of the West Bank city of Nablus, on Thursday night.
Medical sources identified the deceased as 32-year-old, Anis As Sallous. The medical sources added that As Sallous arrived at hospital with bullets in several areas of his body, including his head, chest and legs. He died shortly after arriving at hospital.
A Hamashole called Anis. Go figure.
11:42AM: Israeli police have increased their presence in east Jerusalem and around the Temple Mount, and have restricted access to the Temple Mount to women, and men over 45 with Israeli identity cards, in an attempt to prevent the palestinian infighting from spilling over into Jerusalem.
11:40AM: Hamas terrorists have captured a number of senior Fatah terrorists they consider to be “American agents”, including the commander of the National Security organization and of the elite Presidential Guard, along with a senior Fatah spokesman, a “lawmaker” and six other officials.
10:30AM: According to Ma’an news, there’s now a “precarious calm” in Gaza.
10:15AM: Israel has stated that it will provide humanitarian aid to the palestinian population in the Gaza Strip if the humanitarian crisis there intensifies.
9:20AM: The Jerusalem Post reports that the BBC apologized this week for referring to Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and promised not to repeat “the mistake.”
9:15AM: Since my last update:
1:00AM: Fatah has killed a Hamashole in the West Bank, riddling him with bullets.
12:50AM: Hamas terrorists have broken into the Gaza homes of Mahmoud Abbas and Mohammed Dahlan, and looted them.
12:15AM: Just another day in Gaza (hat tip: LGF)
12:00AM: Today’s civil war death toll: 21.
Friday June 15th
11:30PM: A senior Hamas official in Syria says that there will be no Islamic rule declared in the territory.
Homework assignment: Compare and contrast to my 1:15PM update.
10:56PM: According to Ma’an news, there is now a split within Fatah.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian ministry of interior, Khalid Abu
Hilal, said on Thursday night that “Hamas will not harm the good people
of Fatah; the punishment will be directed against the collaborators.”
In a press conference held in Gaza, Abu Hilal stated that he is now the
head of the Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip. He described Fatah leader
Mohammed Dahlan, and many other Fatah leaders as “collaborators”.
He declared “the good and honorable people of the Fatah movement have rejected the collaborator trend in Fatah.”
He confirmed that he has reached an agreement with leaders of the
Hamas-affiliated Al Qassam Brigades, that the “good” people of Fatah
will not be harmed. He stated that an emergency committee has been
formed “in order to protect the good Fatah people‚Ķ this committee will
be temporary, in order to rearrange the affairs of the Fatah movement”.
10:48PM: Earlier tonight, PA Chairman/Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas declared a state….of emergency. He also dissolved the Hamas-Fatah unity government. Needless to say, Hamas rejected Abbas’ decree.
8:35PM: A Hamas spokesman has stated that Fatah fighters who surrender their weapons won’t be harmed.
Except being given the occasional wedgie, of course.
8:05PM: The US has accused
Hamas of committing “acts of terror” against the palestinian people.
Try telling that to the thousands of palestinians attending victory rallies, proof that many palestinians support Hamas (that’s how they got into
power, after all).
A Palestinian man hugs a Hamas fighter after Hamas captured the Preventive Security headquarters in Gaza June 14, 2007.
It also ignores the fact that Fatah are also committing acts of terror against palestinians.
7:50PM: Here’s a picture of some Hamas terrorists:
Hamas fighters search inside the Preventive Security headquarters after they captured it in Gaza June 14, 2007. (Suhaib Salem/Reuters)
And here’s a picture of some Fatah terrorists:
Palestinian security officers arrest a Hamas activist in the West Bank town of Jenin, Thursday, June 14, 2007. Palestinian security forces allied with Fatah arrested three dozens activists from the rival Hamas in the West Bank on Thursday, as the Islamic militants were close to a military takeover of Gaza.(AP Photo/Mohammed Ballas)
Which begs the question: how the hell do they tell each other apart?
7:30PM: Here’s a great summary of events until now (hat tip: Maksim-Smelchak).
7:12PM: Another item from the Department of Extreme Disingenuity: A Hamas spokesman has said that no changes in Gaza’s social and cultural life is expected.
On second thoughts, violence and coercion is already so prevalent, so perhaps there is some truth in this.
7:10PM: The palestinians are claiming that IDF tank fire killed 4 children east of Rafah . The IDF is denying this, stating that Hamas is trying to blame their deaths on Israel.
6:50PM: The IDF have killed a wanted terrorist south of Jenin.
6:45PM: Other events I missed on my drive home:
6:38PM: According to the Jerusalem Post, Hamas claim they found in the recently captured Fatah’s Gaza HQ documents proving close ties between Fatah and the CIA. Ynetnews elaborate that Hamas found intelligence documents, video tapes and other equipment implicating not only Israel and the CIA, but also several Arab nations in attempts to impair Hamas.
In a humiliating scene, the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Satellite TV broadcast images of Preventive Security members and officers wearing only their underwear as combatants from the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, fired shots over their heads.
“This is the first step of establishing an Islamic state,” a Hamas operative, located in the Preventive Security Service building taken over by Hamas, told Ynet. “This is a victory for Islam, for Allah, and we pray to Allah in gratitude for bringing us this triumph,” he said.
