Hamas Rules Gaza: Now What?
Hamas has rejected President Abbas' emergency government. What now?
June 15, 2007 — -- As of Thursday Gaza is in the hands of Hamas.
In response Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Palestinian government and dismissed Prime Minister Ismaeel Haniyeh. The dismissed Haniyeh, a member of Hamas, said in a late night television appearance Thursday that his dissolved government will continue to rule. He rejected Abbas' decision to dissolve the government, describing it as "hasty."
After four days of fierce battles with their rival party Fatah, Hamas took over the impoverished Gaza Strip with brutal force that included street executions and violent shootings.
Fatah, the Islamic militant Hamas' partner in the Palestinian unity government until Thursday, described the party's forceful seizure of all major Fatah-run security apparatuses as a coup. Abbas has also declared a state of emergency. Today Abbas appointed former Finance Minister Salam Fayyad as prime minister of the emergency government.
The leaders of Hamas in Gaza said today that they consider Fayyad's emergency government illegitimate and that they will not recognize it or deal with it adding that the only legitimate government is the one headed now by Haniyeh.
With Hamas in control of Gaza and the West Bank under the control of Fatah, the Palestinians are more uncertain than ever of their prospects for a future viable Palestinian state.
For Palestinians, Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip and Fatah controlling the West Bank means the division of the Palestinian territories into two independent entities. Speaking to people on the street, there are many who seem to think that two Palestinian entities ruled by two warring parties will eventually harm the chances of creating a viable Palestinian state of all the Palestinian territories including the West Bank and Gaza.
