PALESTINIAN CIVIL WAR UPDATE

Fatah Security Official: "Gaza Has Fallen to Hamas" - Avi Issacharoff
The IDF's operation against rocket crews in Beit Hanun momentarily united the rival Palestinian camps. "But make no mistake," said a senior PA officer with the security service affiliated with Fatah, "the bloodshed we saw in Beit Hanun is nothing compared to the war expected within days between Hamas and Fatah. Unfortunately, even though I belong to the service identified with Abbas, Gaza has already fallen to Hamas. If it wants to, it will take over the Strip in a matter of hours." In the fighting in Beit Hanun, Hamas' operational force appeared to be the only skilled force operating in the area, with new cars, communication equipment, and polished Kalashnikov rifles. The moment the Hamas men realized that the IDF had the upper hand, they withdrew and left the fighting to other groups. The most common sight in Gaza over the Muslim holiday of Eid el Fitr is children carrying plastic weapons, which should be of even greater concern than the smuggling of real weapons through Rafah tunnels. Nearly every kid aged six and up brandishes a toy gun. (Ha'aretz)