Hamas terrorists.
Hamas terrorists.

The commitment by the Hamas and Fatah factions to form a PA unity government seemed to be fading fast Monday as new violence broke out in Gaza.

A Fatah member was wounded in a shootout between the two terrorist organizations as Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ security officers battled with members of a Hamas militia for control of a Gaza training base on Monday.  The new violence threatened to dissolve the ceasefire negotiated between the two groups in Mecca last month. Shots were also fired at a Fatah-controlled police headquarters and an attack on the house and car of a senior Fatah security officer. 



The Hamas and Fatah factions are expanding their forces in spite of the public show of unity in Mecca last month between Abbas and PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.  Saudi Arabian King Abdullah “persuaded” the two factions to agree on a unity government at the time, but the said government has not yet been formed.



In fact, the long-awaited PA coalition government uniting the two terrorist factions will be delayed by at least a week, and possibly two, Haniyeh announced earlier Monday. The new government was to have been unveiled at the end of last week.



However, delays attributed to the composition of the new Cabinet have slowed down the process, Haniyeh told a cabinet meeting. He said he plans to meet with Abbas in two days but was not optimistic there would be any news in the next few days.



“We did not conclude the consultations to form the government and we will not announce it before the end of next week,” Haniyeh said bluntly.



Hamas reportedly agreed to keep Gaza-based members out of the Cabinet, but the names of nominees have not been released. According to the Reuters news service, Haniyeh and Abbas have yet to agree on who will take over the Interior Ministry, a key post that controls the security forces.



Although Haniyeh made it plain there still remained unresolved issues blocking the new government, Fatah spokesman Abdul Hakim Awad was more upbeat.  He said that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ movement would continue to champion the new deal regardless of international reactions.



“The siege is coming to an end,” Awad told the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi. “If Israel continues to reject the unity government, Palestinians will have two options – to return to division, internal strife and violence, or to stand united to face external pressure. This is why Palestinians have chosen unity,” he added.