PA warns Hamas may seize the moment to rise to power
Palestinian Authority (PA) officials are warning that the PA’s weakness and the estimated end of Mahmoud Abbas’ era are a good time for Hamas to rise, as Fatah is engaged in a survival battle and the leadership’s future depends on Abbas’s moves.
Gazan people, waving flags of Hamas organization, demonstrating against the Middle East peace plan, which was published by US President Donald Trump. Gaza, Jan 31, 2020. Photo by Majdi Fathi/TPS
Considering this, Fatah activists have signalled their readiness to return to a wave of violent protests. Some Fatah leaders are also demanding action in light of the understanding that Hamas may precede them and activate its supporters in the PA.
While the PA and Fatah understand that the Arab League’s decision over the weekend rejecting the deal of the Century may prove to be ineffective, Hamas, on the other hand, has won support from Iran and Turkey. Phone calls took place between Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Kassem Suleimani’s replacement in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Hamas is expecting a Fatah delegation to visit Gaza within days, and the Strip is waiting to see if Hamas takes the lead in the battle against Israel, even at the price of ending the understandings with Israel.
In the meantime, Hamas is allowing terrorists in the Gaza Strip to fire mortars, rockets and fire balloons at Israel, signalling that it is leading the opposition to the Deal of the Century alongside its dissatisfaction with the pace of implementation of the understandings with Israel.
