PALESTINIAN CIVIL WAR UPDATE

Unity Fractures as Palestinians Battle in Gaza - Steven Erlanger
At least 19 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday - more than 40 have been killed over the past four days - in fighting between Fatah and Hamas as their unity government fractures and rage rises on both sides. Hamas attacked symbols of Fatah power in Gaza; after a mortar attack, 200 armed men of the Hamas occupied the home of the chief security commander. He was not there, but six bodyguards were killed. (New York Times)

See also Gaza City: "A City of Corpses and Ghosts" - Sakher Abu el-Oun
"Even during the Israeli occupation the situation wasn't this terrible," says Um Mohammed, praying for an end to the lethal Palestinian infighting raging outside her Gaza City home. Fear reigns throughout the city, deserted but for prowling groups of armed men, loyal to rivals Hamas or Fatah, living on a daily diet of ambushes, kidnappings and assassinations. Dozens of snipers on the rooftops of the tallest buildings open fire seemingly on anything that moves. "We can't go near the window, let alone on the balcony. We have all become targets," says Um Mohammed. "This is a city of corpses and ghosts." (AFP/Yahoo)

See also AP Reporter in Gaza: "This Is the Worst It's Been" - Ibrahim Barzak
On Wednesday, I saw several people shot in front of my building, I heard the screams of terrified women and children in a burning building, and I argued with gunmen who tried to take over my home. I have seen a lot in my years as a journalist in Gaza, but this is the worst it's been. (AP/Washington Post)

Solution for PA Anarchy? - Ron Ben-Yishai (Ynet News)
Sderot and western Negev communities are not sustaining Palestinian rocket fire because the Palestinians hope to secure diplomatic-national objectives through their attacks, but rather, because this serves local political and extortion efforts by several dozens of clans and armed groups fighting each other over economic interests and political prestige. In simple terms, Hamas is "exporting" to Israel the responsibility for the massacre carried out by Palestinians against other Palestinians in order to avoid criticism and sanctions from moderate Arab states, and particularly from Saudi Arabia.

Control of the street and arms have shifted to dozens of armed groups and clans, with each one clinging to its own agenda and narrow interests. Intelligence officials have identified 47 such groups, with some working on behalf of Iran and others on behalf of global Jihad. The chances of Abbas loyalists overcoming Hamas in a Gaza military clash are slim to none.

See also Salvation in Occupation - Avi Issacharoff (Ha'aretz)
Hamas has won every confrontation since fighting started Sunday. Its military dominance and supremacy are clear. Hamas is conducting itself like a military organization: It moves its forces, positions snipers, uses light artillery (mortars, for example), sets up ambushes in strategic locations, and systematically targets Fatah's leadership in Gaza, based on hit lists it has drafted.

Fatah's leadership vacuum is the main reason for the group's defeat in the current round. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is still not showing signs of leadership. Mohammed Dahlan managed to rally Fatah's loyalists during the previous round of fighting, but this round caught Dahlan hospitalized in Cairo following back surgery.

The Gazans are repeating one clear message: only Israeli occupation will save them. There is no other solution on the horizon.