Peaceful PalArab weekend

Hamas stormed Al Azhar University in Gaza and the ensuing riots saw many injuries, including professors and a vice president of the university.

A teachers' union in Gaza decided to go on strike to protest these sorts of attacks against teachers by Hamas. Hamas responded by abducting a Rafah school principal, one of the leaders of the union.

Palestinian Arab welfare recipients in the West Bank again closed the UNRWA offices there in protest of not getting enough free stuff from the world. It is unclear how closing the offices will help them. As always whenever Palestinian Arabs act violently against UNRWA, the UNRWA is completely silent about it, with no mentions of these problems in its press releases.

Hamas called on Arab states to stop giving money to the PA.

The PalArab media is reporting on an article in Debka that claims that an 11-point joint Saudi-Egyptian plan for Palestinian Arab unity includes the introduction of Egyptian forces in Gaza. The plan, according to Debka, includes:

1. The rival Palestinian Hamas and Fatah must end their vendetta.

2. They will both release prisoners.

3. Fatah fugitives from the Gaza Strip will be allowed to return home.

4. The tit-for-tat bans on Fatah and Hamas institutions in the Gaza Strip and West Bank must be lifted.

5. Hamas must hand Gaza’s ruling institutions back seized two years ago to the Palestinian Authority.

6. Hamas must suspend the operations of its militia and police forces.

7. Inter-Arab monitors, headed by Egyptian officers, will supervise the Gaza police force.

8. Another panel headed by Egyptian officers will compile a reform program for the Palestinian security bodies in Gaza, effectively removing them from Hamas’ hands.

9. In the interim, until the reform program is implemented, an inter-Arab force of 3,000, commanded by Egyptian security officers, will be in charge of security matters.

10. A provisional Palestinian government will be installed in Ramallah in place of the Salam Fayad administration. It will consist of nonpartisan technocrats acceptable to Fatah and Hamas alike.

11. The PLO’s governing institutions will be overhauled to make room for Hamas representation for the first time.