In the wake of the West Bank city of Qalqilya's violent incident on Sunday, where six people killed and the following trade of accusations between rivals Fatah and Hamas movements over the incident, analysts said the hope of reaching an inter-Palestinian reconciliation has been dim.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas' security forces said Hamas militants initiated the attack when they opened fire at one of the forces in the city, and then it defended itself. Hamas denied the security forces clam and said the incident was plotted by Abbas security forces to kill the two militants.
Senior Fatah leader in the West Bank, Hussein al-Sheikh, urged Hamas militants to drop their arms and hand themselves over to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) security forces, "otherwise, the same incident that happened in Qalqilya would happen again."
"President Mahmoud Abbas issue strict instructions to his security forces to strike so harshly on anyone wants to play with the security in the West Bank, and Hamas should know that what happened in Gaza won't happen in the West Bank," said al-Sheikh.
Hamas movement, which has an overwhelming support in Gaza Strip, took control of the enclave in June 2007, following weeks of violent clashes with Fatah militants and security officers belong to Abbas.
"We will, violently and with truculence, face any attempt carried out by Hamas to repeat the same event that happened in Gaza two years ago and move it to the West Bank. If they (Hamas) insist to do so, we will strike by hands of iron on them," said al-Sheikh
After Sunday's most violent incident in the West Bank since Hamas movement took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, Hamas leaders said they are considering the suspending of the upcoming dialogue in Cairo.
Egypt has informed the Palestinian conferees that they all will be invited to Cairo on July 5 to discuss the draft of a reconciliation agreement that is expected to be inked by exiled Hamas leader Kahled Meshaal and President Mahmoud Abbas as well as other factions' leaders.
Fatah leaders in the West Bank accused Hamas that it has been preparing for some incidents to unsettle stability and find an excuse in order not to reach a reconciliation agreement in Cairo, following Arab pressure on the movement to sign an agreement and end the political rift between Gaza and the West Bank.
Leading sources in Hamas movement told Xinhua that the movement is under heavy pressure by its supporters and leaders "to suspend the talks with Fatah movement in Cairo following the incident in Qalqilya."
The sources said that Hamas had immediately called on Egypt, the mediator of the inter-Palestinian dialogue, to ask Abbas to respect his commitments by stopping the arrests against Hamas members in the West Bank, and release all those who are still in custody.
Rivals Fatah and Hamas had failed in five separate rounds of dialogue held in Cairo since March to agree on substantial issues related to forming a unity government, reuniting the security forces, agreeing on the elections' law and reforming Palestine Liberation Organization.
Following Qalqilya's incident, the Palestinians, mainly in the blockaded Gaza Strip, voiced pessimistic that Fatah and Hamas will be able to overcome their differences and reach a reconciliation agreement that end their ongoing endless conflicts.
As'ad Abu Sharkh, a Palestinian professor in the faculty of Arts at al-Azhar University in Gaza City told Xinhua on telephone that "the recent violence in the West Bank prompted both Fatah and Hamas to incite against each other in the mass media."
"If they don't stop the mutual incitement, and if they don't consider the highest interests of our people, I believe that the Palestinians will suffer more from both the current rift and their lives would turn into a nightmare," said Abu Sharkh.
Palestinian observers in Gaza also doubted that rivals Fatah and Hamas will be able one day to end their rivalry and reach a reconciliation agreement, expecting that the West Bank would witness more violence in the near future.
"I think this incident will lead to the escalation of tension. Hamas will repress Fatah members in Gaza and Fatah will tight its crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank," said Mukhaimar Abu Sa'da, political science lecturer at al-Azhar University in Gaza City.
He added that "The dialogue is failing and it is a waste of time, but I don't think Hamas or Fatah will withdraw from the dialogue because the Egyptians will press them to continue it."
(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2009)
