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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Fatah/Hamas "unity" continues as they attack each other

Today's "unity" news:

Ismail Haniyeh's triumphant tour of Arab capitals, meeting with the leaders of countries like Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia and Turkey, is really upsetting Fatah. He is now in Egypt again, and a source told Egypt's Youm7 that the PLO regards these meetings as proof that Egypt recognizes two governments and two prime ministers, one from Gaza and one from Ramallah, in contradiction with the "unity" agreements forged in Cairo.

Notably, Egypt's prime minister did not meet with Haniyeh on his first leg of his trip to Cairo, but he was pressured to do so by the Islamist elements who regard Hamas as their natural allies.

PLO complaints to Tunisia about them meeting Haniyeh resulted in them inviting Abbas for celebrations on the first anniversary of their revolution.

After Hamas complaints that Ramallah was not sending over adequate medical and pharmaceutical supplies to Gaza, the PA sent over truckloads of aid. But the PA director of public relations for the Department of Health, Omar Nasr, blamed Gaza's shortages on Hamas, pointing out that the de facto government dismissed the person in charge of Gaza's medicine and replaced him with a Hamas hack who doesn't know how to administer the stockpiles.

Meanwhile, the PA Health Ministry called upon international organizations to investigate allegations that Hamas is stealing drugs and selling them to patients rather than providing them for free as they are supposed to.

Yesterday, Hamas angrily denied Fatah statements that there were elements in Gaza who were fighting against reconciliation. Mahmoud Aloul, Fatah Central Committee member, reiterated the charge, in light of the supposedly humiliating delay of Fatah members attempting to enter Gaza on Friday.

The PCHR condemned Hamas for that incident, drawing an angry response.

Meanwhile, Hamas arrested the leader of Fatah Youth in Gaza.

And Mahmoud Zahar criticized the PLO negotiating with Israelis at the Quartet talks in Amman, saying that if Abbas is betting on peace with Israel rather than unity with Hamas, it will lose.