Even as U.S. President Barack Obama tells the world there must be a Palestinian state, the residents of such a “state” themselves say this is not a viable possibility.

A poll released this week shows that 51% of Arabs in Judea, Samaria and Gaza believe that unity between the two new Arab entities in the Land of Israel – Hamas-controlled Gaza and Fatah-ruled Judea and Samaria - will happen “only after a long time.” Another 27% says the split is permanent.

Obama did not explain in his Cairo speech heard around the world how he plans to get the two groups to unite.  “Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, and recognize Israel's right to exist," Obama said, but did not elaborate how this might occur.



Palestinian Authority sources report that PA security forces killed at least two Hamas terrorists today (Thursday) – possibly by drowning them. The two were hiding out in the cellar of a house, and there have been reports that the PA forces flooded the house with water, thus drowning the two.

The incident occurred in Kalkilya, east of Kfar Saba.

Hamas has also been cited for “unfair warfare” in Kalkilya -- using a woman as a human shield during a gun battle with Fatah.

That incident occurred earlier this week, with PA sources reporting that two Hamas men – who were ultimately killed in the battle – hid behind a woman during the battle. The woman herself was no innocent bystander, however; in the middle of the seven hours of gunfire, she threw a hand grenade at three Fatah policemen, killing them. Though she lost her arm in the fighting, she will apparently be charged with murder and faces a death sentence.

AFP reported that the civil rights group Amnesty International has “lambasted both Hamas and Fatah for arbitrary detentions, torture and suppression of freedom of speech in their respective areas of control.”