Azerbaijan, Baku, 15 August / Trend corr. U.Sadikhova, R.Hafizoglu/ The current arrests of
Islamic Resistance Movement HAMAS supporters are the Palestinian Government's endeavour to prevent any efforts to strengthen HAMAS in the region. But the sides will not risk commencing a new civil war.
"Mahmoud Abbas fears that HAMAS will strengthen in the region and will put an end to his government on the West Bank, whilst movement's leaders want to eradicate FATAH," Palestinian expert Mohammad Yaghi said to Trend from Ontario, Canada. He is a Lafer international fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
The Palestinian Administration's police realized mass arrests of HAMAS movement's supporters on the West Bank and in other regions of Palestine. A lot of organizations owned by the Islamic Movement were shut down, Al-Jazeera channel reported on 11 August.
HAMAS supporters' arrest is one of the attempts of Palestine's governing FATAH party to strengthen even more on the West Bank and to gradually expand its influence on the Gaza Strip, where HAMAS has been ruling for two years.
Relations between the two Palestinian groups rapidly deteriorated after HAMAS's victory at the parliamentary elections in 2006.
According to Ziyad Abu Ain, the Spokesperson for FATAH, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tries to create single governing and security bodies in Palestine. Therefore, the President urges HAMAS to dialogue to unite two territories within the Palestinian united state.
"HAMAS, demonstrating its military power, tries to realize a coup in the region and reject any dialogue. Certainly, that irritates the Palestinian Government," Abu Ain said to Trend in a telephone conversation from Ramallah.
According to Ain, regardless of HAMAS's anti-governmental policy, the Palestinian Autonomous Government provides equal rights to the citizens of the Gaza Strip, including HAMAS supporters. HAMAS supporters are being arrested because they violate elementary laws and put region's security under a doubt, Spokesperson said.
"HAMAS movement is not embodied by one person or a small group of people. Therefore, several people's arrest does not testify for the Palestinian Government is against the entire movement," Abu Ain said.
Recent ceasefire agreement between HAMAS and Israel demonstrated that the Resistance Movement may achieve better results in the talks with Israel, than the Autonomous Government. Therefore, FATAH seeks to arouse fear amongst the people and thus wants to destroy its main opponent HAMAS, Hamis Musayib, a pro-HAMAS political scientist, said.
"Unlike FATAH, HAMAS movement demonstrated military power in the war with Israel. And ceasefire agreement is a result of successful policy," Musayib, Political Science Professor at the Islamic University of Gaza, said to Trend in a telephone conversation from the Gaza Strip.
According to Musayib, such developments put the stability of the Palestinian Government under doubt.
The western countries, with the leadership of the United States, exert pressure on the governing FATAH party regarding arrest of HAMAS supporters, Hirsham Ahmad, an independent political scientist, said.
"West, which enjoys great influence on Palestine, is afraid of strengthening of the Islamic Movement in the region. However, if truce is inked between FATAH and HAMAS, it will be the result of West's policy in Palestine," Ahmad, a Political Science Professor at the Birzeit Univeristy, said to Trend in a telephone conversation from Jerusalem.
According to Ahmad, it is not advantageous for HAMAS to agree on truce with FATAH, because the Palestinian Government has not yet completely strengthened in the region.
The current Palestine events drew a wide response in the region and aroused reasons for new a civil war.
Blast, which killed five HAMAS supporters in Gaza two weeks ago, caused new conflicts with the Palestinian Government. Ismail Haniya, the head of the Islamic Movement, blamed Mahmoud Abbas Administration for organization of the blast. As a result, FATAH supporters were arrested in Gaza.
According to Musayib, the Palestinian Government takes vengeance on HAMAS for the events which took place two weeks ago. However, he believes HAMAS will not commence a new war with FATAH because of the arrests or closure of HAMAS organizations.
"HAMAS will not make such a mistake, even if other political groups attempt to do it," Musayib said.
According to Mohammad Yaghi, HAMAS's reaction will not be strong, because the movement does not possess enough military potential and tactics. HAMAS will limit itself to conflicts and response blows. Both sides know how dangerous new war can be for Palestine, he said.
"Neither HAMAS nor FATAH will agree on extensive confrontation between themselves, because it will be more risky for Palestine in the whole," Yaghi said.
Sheikh Ahmad Yassin established HAMAS Islam resistance movement in 1987. The movement focuses on establishment of an independent Palestinian State and on liberation of the Palestinian lands from Israel's occupation.
FATAH movement was formed in 1956. Yasser Arafat (Abu Ammar) is its historical leader. Mahmoud Abbas is heading the Movement at the moment.
"Perhaps, HAMAS will not only avoid a war with the Autonomous Government, but will also agree on truce, because Palestine is practically in the hands of Western countries," Ahmad said.
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