Residents of Gaza reported Monday that Hamas had resumed its operations in the area. Those Hamas police stations that were not bombed by the IDF in recent fighting were open, residents reported, as were government offices.
Hamas has rented several buildings and apartments to temporarily replace buildings that were destroyed in IAF strikes, they added.
Hamas spokesmen said Monday that leaders of the group's armed forces would review battles with the IDF during the Cast Lead operation in the coming weeks. The commanders will examine Hamas operations to judge their success.
Spokesmen expressed confidence that the operations would be determined to have been successful. IDF soldiers did not enter densely populated urban centers in Gaza, and Gaza terrorists continued to fire missiles on Israeli civilians throughout the operation – both signs of success, spokesmen claimed.
There were hints of dissatisfaction with Hamas's decision-making during the battle, however. One senior Hamas commander told foreign media on Monday that the group should have maintained its temporary ceasefire with Israel until it had built a system of defense.
Slain Leader Replaced?
Hamas has reportedly replaced senior leader Said Siam, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in mid-January. Siam served as Hamas Interior Minister, and planned the 2007 battles that left Hamas in full control of Gaza.
Siam's replacement is Khalil el-Haya, according to the Iranian Fars news agency. El-Haya, 48, is currently a member of the Hamas parliament and a senior figure in the group. Hamas officials did not deny that el-Haya was being considered to replace Siam, but said no official appointment had been made.
Haniyeh Seeks Legitimacy
Hamas's Gaza head, Ismail Haniyeh, resumed his efforts to gain international legitimacy for the terror gang, reaching out to newly inaugurated United States President Barack Obama. Haniyeh praised Obama's election as president as “the triumph of egalitarian values over discrimination and humanity over extremism.”
Residents of Gaza are “continuing along the path towards freedom and justice... However, they will never be content as long as they remain victims of terrorist and barbaric occupation,” Haniyeh wrote. He mentioned the recent IDF counterterrorism operations in Gaza as well, saying 1,330 residents of the area were killed “because they seek freedom.”
Fatah Seeks Unity
Fatah leaders are strongly urging Hamas to resume negotiations towards the reunification of Hamas and Fatah to create a single Palestinian Authority controlling Gaza, Judea and Samaria. “A lasting truce and reconstruction” in Gaza are not possible without reconciliation, one negotiator warned.
Senior Fatah negotiator Azzam el-Ahmed met with Hamas official Jamal abu-Hashim in Cairo on Monday to discuss reconstruction of Gaza buildings and infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes. El-Ahmed said the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian National Assembly (PNA) were the only two groups authorized to represent all residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and thus those two bodies should lead the effort to rebuild.
El-Ahmed noted that his meeting with abu-Hashim was the first time Hamas and Fatah representatives had met since last November, and expressed hope that dialog between the two would help create national unity. “We are looking forward to the success of the dialogue and national reconciliation in the Egyptian efforts,” he said.