JERUSALEM – The U.S.-backed Fatah party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday passed a resolution commending its members for purportedly fighting against Israel alongside Hamas in the Gaza Strip during the past three weeks.
At an official meeting attended by Abbas in Ramallah, Fatah’s Central Committee, the group’s most powerful body, resolved: “We appreciate the armed resistance of the Al Aqsa Marytrs Brigades (Fatah’s declared military wing) against Israeli aggression and war. We honor the sacrifice of our martyrs of our fighters in Gaza and appreciate the fact they put aside political differences with Hamas, and fought side-by-side, arm-by-arm with their brothers in Hamas.”
The Fatah statement, translated from Arabic by WND, is mostly untrue, according to multiple sources in Fatah, Hamas and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades who spoke to WND.
Hamas placed roughly 95 percent of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the Gaza Strip under house arrest during the conflict, fearing the rival group may work with Israel, according to both Fatah and Hamas sources.
The sources said many of the Al Aqsa leaders were released from house arrest earlier this week and that the Fatah gunmen have since been involved in shooting some rockets from Gaza aimed at nearby Jewish communities.
Hamas in 2007 seized control of Gaza from Fatah, taking over all U.S.-backed security compounds in the territory. Top diplomatic sources in Jerusalem told WND three weeks ago Abbas and his top representatives had waged a quiet campaign for months asking the Israeli government to target Hamas in Gaza just before the PA president’s term in office expired Jan. 9.
Hamas leaders repeatedly had warned they would not recognize Abbas after Jan. 9 and that they would launch a major campaign to delegitimize the PA president and install their own figures to lead the Palestinian government.
An Israeli security official surmised Fatah yesterday released the statement commending its group’s “resistance” in Gaza because Fatah lost some credibility in the Palestinian and greater Arab street, since it wasn’t involved in fighting Israel.
“Hamas and Islamic Jihad are seen as the real resistance in the eyes of the Palestinian and Arab street, while Fatah is corrupt,” the official said.
He said Fatah may also be trying to position itself toward a possible reconciliation with Hamas to minimize resistance if Fatah attempts to reestablish a major presence in Gaza following Israel’s withdrawal from that territory in the coming days.
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