Analysis: Hamas seizes large Gazan areas

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 14 (UPI) -- Islamic Hamas militants have reportedly seized control over many areas in the Gaza Strip routing their Fatah rivals, some of whom have fled to Egypt.

The Islamic victories aroused fears that the area would become a radical "Hamastan" backed by Iran and Syria, but Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas were trying to halt the clashes.

Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades seized control over large areas in the northern and southern Gaza Strip as well as in Gaza City while Fatah's security forces were "quickly disintegrating," an Israeli intelligence report said. Fatah is militarily inferior and lack an effective command, the intelligence report said.

Tuesday Hamas reportedly seized Fatah-affiliated security forces headquarters in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Media Center, affiliated with Hamas, said that more than 70 members of a family affiliated with Fatah's strongman Mohammad Dahlan, and who live nearby, have surrendered to Hamas. Dahlan is in Egypt recovering from an operation. Hamas reportedly met very little resistance when it occupied the National Security's main headquarters in the central Gaza Strip, Haaretz reported. Further south, in Khan Yunes, militants blew up a tunnel underneath the headquarters of the Preventive Security and destroyed it. Fighting then spread to Rafah, beside the border with Egypt, and militants blew up a building there, al-Jazeera TV reported.

An al-Jazeera correspondent said 52 Palestinian national security servicemen had fled towards the Egyptian border. According to another report they blew up part of the border wall and crossed.

Hamas stationed snipers atop high-rise buildings while combatants moved against buildings that Fatah-affiliated militants controlled and attacked them with rocket propelled grenades, the Ma'an news agency reported.

Fatah's stronghold is in the center of Gaza City where the Preventive Security, the Intelligence, National Security and the Presidential Guard units are located. Abbas' offices are in that area.

President Abbas nominally commands the large National Security forces but has not ordered them into action, possibly to avoid civil war.

A report carried by al-Jazeera said those forces were ordered to remain in their positions but "defend the security headquarters with all your might."

Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades have reportedly given all Fatah-affiliated security services until Friday evening to turn themselves in and surrender their arms, Ma'an reported.

Abbas appealed for a cease-fire. He reportedly contacted Hamas' Damascus-based leader Khaled Mishaal but failed to reach an agreement and then talked to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose house was attacked Monday night. According to Ma'an news Abbas stated the necessity of "stopping the cycle of violence in the Gaza Strip."

The report said that the two, who spoke on the phone, confirmed that "efforts must be exerted in order to reach a cease-fire agreement. They called on all parties to cease hostilities, resume dialogue ... in order to protect national unity."

However it is unclear how much of an impact such a call might have. Palestinian leaders have concluded numerous cease-fire agreements, but many were short lived. Moreover, Haniyeh apparently does not have much influence over Hamas militants.

Fatah is more powerful in the West Bank, has threatened to attack Hamas men there and sporadic clashes including a short-lived kidnapping in Nablus were reported.

Countering Hamas' apparent upper hand in Gaza, Fatah Al Aksa Brigades brought out its people in the West Bank town of Nablus. A leader, who was not named, said they were giving Hamas' Al Qassam Brigades and Executive Force "12 hours to stop the aggression against Fatah members and the security bodies in the (Gaza) Strip and return to their bases. If not, we will hit Hamas in the West Bank," they reportedly said.

Meanwhile there were appeals for Arab involvement to stop the fighting.

Abbas called several Arab and other leaders including the Egyptian and Yemeni presidents, the German chancellor and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana. They discussed the situation, the official Wafa news agency said.

These calls had some effect. The president of the Islamic Conference, Ihsdan Addin Oghlo, reportedly phoned Haniyeh, expressed concern over the continued clashes and called for an immediate cease-fire. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh reportedly did the same.