Behind Hamas' Own War on Terror

Eyebrows were raised around the world Aug. 14 when Hamas security forces in Rafah swiftly, and brutally, destroyed an al-Qaeda-inspired group that had proclaimed the southern Gaza town an "Islamic emirate." After all, Hamas is listed by the U.S. and the European Union as a terrorist organization, and many in the West don't expect an avowedly Islamist political organization to forcefully suppress jihadist groups.

Yet, that's exactly what happened when pro-al-Qaeda cleric Abdel Latif Moussa gathered about 100 of his heavily armed supporters in a mosque to denounce Hamas rule and declared himself the "Islamic prince" of the new "emirate." Hamas security men moved in to disarm the group, and 24 people, including Moussa and about 20 of his followers, were killed in the ensuing firefight. Their group, Jund Ansar Allah, claimed inspiration from al-Qaeda, and condemned Hamas both for maintaining a cease-fire with Israel and for its failure to impose Islamic Shari'a law after taking full control of Gaza in 2007. It had mounted small-scale attacks on rivals inside Gaza, and two months ago failed in a bizarre cavalry charge by mounted fighters against Israeli border guards. Following the Rafah showdown, the fringe group has vowed to wage war on Hamas, turning Gaza's rulers into an unlikely ally against Osama bin Laden.


Still, there was little surprise about the Rafah confrontation for longtime observers of Palestinian politics. Hamas, in fact, has always been at odds with al-Qaeda. Despite its Islamist ideology, Hamas is first and foremost a nationalist movement, taking its cue from Palestinian public opinion and framing its goals and strategies on the basis of national objectives, rather than the "global" jihadist ideology of al-Qaeda. For example, Hamas has periodically debated the question of whether to attack American targets in its midst, and each time has reiterated the insistence of the movement's founders that it confine its resistance activities to Israeli targets.

"What distinguishes Hamas - as well as organizations like Hizbullah and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood - from groups like al-Qaeda is that they recognize, whether out of principle or practical necessity, that the will of the people they claim to represent is paramount," says Mouin Rabbani, an Amman-based analyst with the Center for Palestine Studies. "In deciding their actions, they're ultimately more responsive to their environment than to their principles."

And it's precisely that more pragmatic strain in Hamas that has often infuriated al-Qaeda leaders. Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has savagely and repeatedly condemned Hamas for participating in elections, for accepting Saudi and Egyptian mediation of its conflict with Fatah, and for observing a cease-fire with Israel. Hamas officials routinely dismiss al-Qaeda's criticisms. Hamas' Beirut representative Osama Hamdan two years ago suggested that "a fugitive in the Afghan mountains" offered the Palestinian cause no advice worth heeding. Also in 2007, when a self-styled "Army of Islam" claiming inspiration from al-Qaeda kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston in Gaza, Hamas forced the group to release him.


The harsh crackdown on Jund Ansar Allah sends two emphatic messages from Hamas: one to potential rivals, the other to potential interlocutors. The speed and violence with which it suppressed the jihadist group is a warning to all potential rivals that Hamas will tolerate no challenge to its authority in Gaza. But it also signals that as long as Hamas maintains a cease-fire, it is willing and able to forcibly restrain others in the Strip from launching attacks on Israel.

That display of force will likely reinforce the emerging consensus in the West that no credible Israeli-Palestinian peace process is possible without the consent of Hamas. Indeed, one European diplomat in the region told TIME that U.S. officials were pleased by the Hamas action in Rafah. The action "benefited Hamas because it allowed them to show that they're capable of enforcing their authority and order, in Gaza, and also to distinguish themselves from the radical jihadists," says Rabbani. "This shows not only that Hamas is different from al-Qaeda, but that the two are actually violently at odds."


While Hamas may have gained diplomatically from taking down Moussa's outfit, the emergence of an al-Qaeda-inspired group ready to openly challenge Hamas authority is a reminder of the downside. Some of the leading elements in Jund Ansar Allah were former Hamas members who broke with the movement over its decision to join in the political process of the Palestinian Authority by running for election in 2006. They were bolstered, according to Palestinian observers, by jihadist elements from other Arab countries, taking advantage of the widespread despair and frustration in Gaza brought on by the ongoing economic siege. While Hamas is currently enforcing the cease-fire it adopted seven months ago at the close of Israel's Gaza invasion, the economic siege remains largely in place - although if Egyptian-mediated negotiations over the fate of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit are successfully resolved, that might prompt Israel to ease the pressure.

Although basic food and fuel supplies are entering Gaza, the Israelis have kept out the construction material essential for rebuilding the thousands of homes damaged and destroyed in January's fighting. If the onset of winter sees no progress in rebuilding the homes of those currently living in tents and other temporary shelters - and especially if the U.S. pushes a plan that is viewed as an attempt to isolate Hamas - the pressure on the group to end the cease-fire will be coming not just from more radical challengers, but from Hamas' own commanders and fighters.

Courtesy: Time.com

Israeli Army Kills 5 Children

Yesterday, responding to rocket attacks on Sderot, Israeli Army launched almost a dozen air strikes killing 20 Palestinians. The dead include members of the rocket squads who are shooting the Qassam Missiles into Sderot and Ashkelon. The dead also include 5 children between 8 and 12 years who were playing soccer.

There would have been a world wide condemnation if this has happened in any western country but since this has happened in Palestine, who cares !! Till how many more years Palestinians have to suffer like this.

While one person died due to the rockets from Hamas, Israel killed 31 Palestinians including 14 civilians, among them 8 children.

I do understand the problems these Qassam Rockets create but how effective are these rockets ? Our of 50 rockets, one rocket would hit the target causing injuries or at the maximum a casualty. Compare that to Israel's heat seeking missiles, multiple barrel rocket launchers, most advanced Tanks, Fighter Planes like the US built F-16's, Apache Helicopters, Drones and not to forget the spy satellites.

Israel also attacked democratically elected Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh. The US says it supports democracy but why are they keeping quiet when Israel has attacked the personal office democratically elected Prime Minister of Palestine ?

Israel lost the previous war with Hamas when Hamas snatched two Israeli soldiers from the border. Israel could able to only hit civilian targets like buildings killing innocent people and Israel, with all its high end weaponry was targeting infrastructure like bridges and electric stations. With electricity gone (check my previous post on Collective Punishment By Israel, it effected emergency health services.

Israel should understand that it is achieving nothing except create more militants by targeting civilians. It has to start building Confidence Building Measures for a peaceful future before Hamas lays its hands on more sophisticated weaponry from Iran or Syria. It is learned that during the recent border breach with Egypt, Hamas militants have smuggled in Iran's long range Grad Missiles. Looks like options are narrowing down for Israel before world forces it to make peace.

Collective Punishment by Israel

Since Sunday, entire Gaza Strip in the Palestinian State went out of power as the only power plant owned by the Hamas-led Government is suffering from fuel shortage. The Gaza City plunged into darkness as the turbines were shut off.


As of now, the Hospitals, Offices, Schools and everything is running on generators and once the diesel used for generators also get finished, then the lives of hundreds of people in the hospitals would be in jeopardy. While the emergency machines are running, it seems it is very cold inside the hospitals.

A local health official, said hospitals faced a catastrophic choice between cutting "electricity on babies in the maternity ward or heart surgery patients" or stopping operating theaters.

Israel supplies around 60% of Fuel to Palestine while 8% of fuel is supplied by Egypt and the rest is developed by Palestinians. Israel is insisting the Hamas-led Government to stop shooting Qassam Rockets into the Occupied Areas and into Israel. Once that is done, they would immediately re-start fuel transportation.


Palestinians have very few weapons to fight the modern technology Israeli Army uses and one of them is the highly unstable and ineffective Qassam Rockets. These rockets could able to cause very limited damage and very very rare death. Whenever a rocket lands in Israel, Israel is responding with its modern weaponry and blasting out buildings without caring for the civilians inside it.

The 2006 skirmishes with Hamas led to death of more than 1200 Palestinians (majority of them are civilians) and around 169 Israelis dead (majority of them are from the Army). Instead of stopping Israel of its barbaric acts, the West is happily co-operating with it.

India is also not far behind. We are buying latest technology and arms from Israel and today, Indian Space Research Organization put one of the most sophisticated spy satellite belonging to Israel into Polar Orbit so that Israel can better spy on Iran.


Due to these acts, Israel is only encouraging Hamas and pushing public support to it. Israel has to come out with Confidence Building Measures (CBM's) if it really wants peace with Palestine. How many more years can Palestinians live Occupied ? There should always be a "give-and-take" policy. It is time Israel understands that before it is too late.

Both sides should give peace a chance and Israel being stronger country, needs to be more accommodating and magnanimous.